One thousand flower petals
by Fenris Amon
Summary: One thousand flower petals fall on scenes from different lives. Some petals fall on each other, others stay in the tree and watch. Discontinued
1. A glass of Sake

_This was originally challanged to me by a friend of mine in real life, he challanged me to make 1,000 drabbles based off bleach, if you have any comments, requests or such, add a review, i read and reply to all of them, well most. Please, only 'normal' pairings. No Yaoi, Yuri, etc. _**  
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**A glass of sake**

Looking over the plume of smoke rising from the top of my beloved cannon, I begin to think about what I have set in motion. That kid, he's a strange one. He doesn't rely on any kind of special power or any extra training besides what Urahara gave. Just pure gut determination and what he believes, just like brother. I begin to wonder what makes those kinds of people go, what makes them tick and how they live.

He reminds me of you, Kaien, but of course you always did what you wanted to do, what you believed was right. You might of been the only exception in our perceptions of the shinigami. Or maybe we were just disillusioned. If you were in my spot, would you be doing the same thing?

Pouring myself a glass of sake, I ponder what they meant to you, "I'm sorry brother, I'm going to help a shinigami; like the one who killed you." But what if you were still alive? What if that shinigami never killed you? "If you were still alive, and I didn't do anything for them, you would probably scold me." Saying something like 'shinigami or not, if they're in trouble, help them!'. I think you'd do it anyways, "Just because you loved the shinigami, and died as a shinigami." To you, young Ichigo, I wish you luck. I bring the glass of sake and drink it whole. It's sour.


	2. Silently Forgiving

**Silently Forgiving**

It's a long silence between me and her, just staring at each other as if nothing is wrong with the world and that I'm just some stranger who is passing by and saying hi. She looked at me firmly, with that same look of utter defiance and strong will that seems to personify the Shiba family. I broke the silence first with words never rehearsed before. "Umm..." is all that escapes my mouth in front of such determination.

Her voice comes out rough and unrefined, but speaks to me like nothing is wrong, "What do you want?" She asks me, standing there. The look in her eyes only elevated by her missing arm that made her seem like she'd seen it all.

Ganju comes from nowhere, sweating bullets from whatever torture his sister is putting him through. Has he forgiven me? Or is he just acting so that I may leave quickly, maybe his anger is swelling deep inside him so badly that he can barely keep it inside him, "Wait! That's Rukia! Ichigo risked his life to save her!"

The elder of the Shiba family looked at me unforgivingly, her eyes transfixed on my pathetic form. Ichigo I heard him say, I know he risked his life to save me, but at what cost? My honor could of been saved had he just left me there. "I know." She continues firmly, her arm dangling freely in the wind.

The younger looked at the older with mystery, "The Shinigami that killed onii-san."

She looks upon me resolutely, an unwavering sheer determination unmoving from her stern glare, "That's why I'm asking, what do you want?" She says with so much indifference in her voice. She doesn't cry, she doesn't yell, she doesn't show any kind of emotion.

The words just come out of my mouth as I bow in honor, and of the life I took years ago, "…Sorry…" I say silently, but loud enough so that they could possibly hear it. "I wanted to apologize sooner, but I just ran like a coward. It took me so long to bring myself over here." I remember crying all night, remembering the loss I had given them, the grief I had given myself, and the hatred I brought onto myself.

"It's okay." She says steadfastly, turning around and scratching the back of her head, as if one sorry was enough.

"Huh?" I don't understand, why isn't her angry with me? Her inner soul must be fuming from what I have done. With that in mind, I only hear footsteps angrily coming my way, then her fist connects to the top of my head, "Ow!" I naturally say.

"I heard everything from Ukitake. How it wasn't you're fault, and how you're the one who's carrying around most of the guilt. That's why in my heart, I decided that I would forgive you if you said just one word of apology." A great burden was just lifted off my heart, that she knew my soul and what I had been going through. Just then it hit me, that I was carrying so much guilt on myself, I forgot to see that her own pain and sorrow became a pardon for me. Maybe that's what I forget to see, and why Ichigo wanted to save me. She silently forgave me, before she even met me. Kukaku Shiba.


	3. Enjoying Life

**Enjoy Life**

The orange haired boy stood at the foot of the cement pavement that overlooked the beach below him. He wore a jacket that he happened to take a fancy to last year. It was midnight blue, not his favorite color in the whole wide world, but it was warm and comfortable for those afternoon breezes in fall and spring. The sun was beginning to set, he noticed it was earlier then normal, at least that's what his circadian clock told him.

"Sit" A soft voice to his left commanded him. Without looking, he did as he was told, dangling his legs over the edge and staring at the setting sun that bathed itself with painted colors of red, blue, orange and yellow.

The voice sprung up again, not surprising him like a blast of bad music, but more like a soft melody that played in his ear; sort of like a Stradivari violin being played to a random tune that he could never place, "They never have sunsets like this back there." the soft female voice commented to the setting sun.

He just silently stared at the sun as it slowly set. What made this event special, different then all the other thousands of sun-sets he witnessed over the years? Even with this person at his side, he felt as if this was a once-in-a-lifetime event, like he would never see this again and that he should relish in this moment while he was alive.

He glanced over and noticed that his friend he was sitting with had her arms folded as she shivered slightly in the breeze, without any warning, Ichigo took off his jacket and placed it around his female companion's arms. She looked at him, somewhat mystified at this sudden gesture of kindness. "Stop looking at me that way, dammit. It's obvious you're cold, so just wear it til we get home."

The women just looked at him with honest eyes and smiled, "Thanks. Ichigo." a short chuckle escaping her breath as her gaze turned back to the setting sun.

"Rukia," He started, shifting his gaze partly again to the girl to his right, but before he could say anything more, a soft feeling of skin covered his lips. She held a pointer finger over his mouth, he looked at her slightly confused.

She looked at him with some sort of strange compassion, not the same kind that you would give to a puppy, but a rough compassion of understanding and perfect sync, at least for the moment they were. She took her finger off his lips and set it on his hand, "Shut up and enjoy life." She moved uncomfortably closer to him, her hand taking his and moving it onto his lap, and her arm brushing up with his. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he just sat there. For a short second, a smile appeared on his face; everything was right just for that moment in time. That he is just enjoying life how it is, and that was fine.


	4. Stupid Holidays

**Author's Notes: **I feel so stupid for almost forgetting a holiday themed drabble! Well, here it is! I don't care what anyone says, it's still Christmas, only cause I don't celebrate those other ones.

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**Stupid Holidays**

"C'mon! Ichigo!" Yelled Rukia, grabbing Ichigo by his arm forcefully out his warm house. Around her shoulders was a thin light blue coat lined with some sort of grey fur, she was always curious about how they made that coat, it's warmth and comfort seemed much better then anything the R&D department could ever do. She mentally noted to scold them for not making more comfortable clothing for gigais.

Ichigo, resisting with all his might, was losing this battle like always. No matter how much he tried to resist, she would always end up winning. Hell if he went down, might as well go down fighting, "Dammit Rukia!" He tried to pull his hand out from her death-grip. Who knew that for such a small girl, she had so much strength? "It's only a stupid holiday!" If there was one thing that the eleventh division could not stand up aginst, it would have to be the arguments between Ichigo and Rukia. Last time they got into one in the soul society, it was deemed hazordous to the general welfare. But no one was stupid enough to tell them that.

Her cheeked puffed up slightly from the amount of effort she was putting into pulling Ichigo, "That's right! So what's the problem with going out with me?" She argued, finally managing to get him out the front door. "Damn! You weight a lot!"

"Oh shut up! It's still too damn early!" he tried to resist her pulling, but all he was managing to get was a swollen arm. He failed to notice the clock read differently then what he thought.

"Early? It's noon you idiot!" finally getting tired of pulling him, she kicked him behind the knee and forced him to the ground, grabbing his wrists and putting all her pressure on his back. She sat on his arms and held his head down with her feet, finding herself panting from use of so much energy. At times she finds it beneficial to know binding spells, but she doesn't use them as much as she wants to. (though it does slip at times, just to keep Ichigo 'safe'. Of course everyone knows that's a lie)

"Dammit Rukia! Get your ass off my back!" he pleaded, trying to move but to little effect, just making his pain worse. For some reason or another, Rukia was good at binding people and pinning them to the ground. That was something he could never figure out.

She smiled triumphantly as she looked down at her victim, "Then say yes!" She demanded as she applied more pressure to his head, forcing more of his head into the ground.

"Fine dammit, get off me!" He finally caved in (like always) to her demands, trying harder to push her off.

Rukia playfully jumped off him, and twirled around as he got up and dusted himself off. "Heh, I knew you'd see it my way." She mused as she began to walk down the street, she placed her hands behind her back as she walked with purposeful steps. She turned around quickly, completely forgetting one piece of vital information, "So where to?"

Ichigo's anger rose quickly, first one thing now another, "Dammit! You don't even know where the hell we're going?" he fumed, staring down at her.

His female companion looked at him innocently, "Nope!" She smiled with a voice so innocent, she could possibly get away with murder, of course, that's only after Ichigo had gotten to her first, which at times seemed like a good idea. "How about this? We make this a date?" she finally said, the first idea that came to her mind.

Ichigo grumbled, the idea going through his mind, "What's your idea of a date?" Ichigo asked, doubting her R&D corrupted mind, before she could reply with one of her stupid ideas again, he stepped in, "How about we just go shopping? I gotta finish some stuff anyways." He said, putting his hands in his pockets and walking past Rukia.

"You are so hard to satisfy." She said, running up to him and grabbing his arm playfully, they walked down the street like this, gathering strange looks and comments from people Ichigo knew, but this would be one of the many times he wish he didn't know them.

Something caught Rukia's eye down the street a bit as she ran carelessly across the road, normally a quiet intersection, but all hell broke loose before his eyes. A car screeched from the end of the road, making a sudden turn, running from an unseen police car. Everything went silent in Ichigo's mind as he ran towards Rukia, only to see her look at the car that was speeding down the road.

All he could hear was the fateful 'thump' as Rukia's body skidded over the top of the car. His heart skipped three beats, as reflex and emotion took over his body, "Rukia!" He yelled, running as fast as he could towards the body that lay unconscious on the ground. As he kneeled down next to the bloodied body, he cursed himself, "God damned holidays."


	5. Paperwork

**Paperwork**

"_I fail to see why MY division is always loaded with so much paperwork, first it's one thing then another! Oi!" _The young division captain shuffled through his paperwork looking for reference material as he noticed more work that he (more like his lazy vice-captain.) forgot to do. He glanced over to see that certain vice captain yawning as she sat up, "You do know that my sofa is _not_ you're bed?" he asked her as she sat up groggily, eyeing him as he went through his papers.

"Mebee, but!" She yawned, falling back down on the couch, resting her head on the arm of it, "It's still so much more comfortable then my little-bittie bed." Without warning a flying object hit her square in the forehead, reflex took in as she jumped to her feet and stood up, wandering who threw that object.

Hitsugaya looked at her with some regret and dissatisfaction, as he resting his head on his left hand, "Good, now that your up, get me my pen and get to work." Matsumoto, being who she is, smiled tiredly picked up the pen slowly and walked over to his desk, bending over a bit more then he would of liked. (Although deep down inside he wish she'd bend down more…)

She eyed the paperwork he had on his desk, "Oh? You got these too?" she fumbled through the papers on his desk, looking through them familiarly.

His eyes grew a bit frustrated as she messed up all of his work that he so carefully finished in the last five hours, "What do you think your doing?" he accused her.

She looked up at him, "You're doing the paperwork I already finished ya know. I ordered these from the fourth as copies." She gracefully walked over to her own desk nearby and picked up a pile of papers about the same height as Hitsugaya's pile.

"See taichou?" she gave him the originals as he took it from her hand greedily.

He handed the papers back to her and gave her a relieved sigh, "Well, it seems your good for more stuff then just viewing pleasure." he admitting, completely forgetting how she would take that.

She bubbled up with excitement, "Oh really? A compliment, yay!" She smiled in almost a kawaii fangirl type of pose. Then she thought to herself carefully, "Wait, does that mean you stare at me when I'm sleeping? Naughty boy!" She smiled, teasing him.

He stood up abruptly and walked towards the door, "Wake me up in seven hours. I'm dead tired." he said, opening the door.

She smiled, "Tee-hee, okay!" she smiled at him as he closed the door.

"You get some rest too, Okay? You need your rest as well for doing all that work." he commented right before the crack in the wooden door closed throughly.

Her eyes widened, "Oh, thanks taichou."


	6. Standing Alone

**Author's Notes:** I seemed to be cursed in all of my stories, that I rarely get any reviews, I mean seriously, I'm not going to stop writing because of this, but it is annoying. Also, I'm going to try to be a bit more 'traditional' with names and stuff, but it's still going to be a pain on the royal butt. Also, this story was rather, I don't know. Sudden? So if it's a bit crappy, don't blame me, much.

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**Standing Alone**

Renji leaned against the wall of a building near the Urahara Shoten, his long fiery red hair rolled down his back like a stream of blood left in his wake. He neglected to tie it back like he always does, and his clothes have been rather unkept. The dirt was never cleaned off properly, stains dotting each part of it. He looked up into the dark sky and noticed the stars dotting the sky, he came so close to grasping one, but he was burned as the star threw him back down onto the ground. Renji isn't the one to normally think of metaphors, but seeing the star of his best friend go off to someone else, made him feel somewhat lonely inside. He felt as if he stood alone again. "Dammit." He swore to himself silently thinking of the days when the two of them were inseparable.

He had no real place to live as of the moment, he could probably be mistaken for a street urchin, or a loiterer outside Urahara's shop who just wouldn't go away. The streets were mucky due to the constant rain that has been falling for the last few days. All in all, he was in a crappy mood, "I wonder if this Gigai can get sick?" He whispered to himself, the obvious feeling of being cold was something he wished that the research and development department was something that could of been left out.

Standing up, finally admitting defeat for the day, Renji looked around for the nearest shelter, the rain was getting to his head and it wasn't making him feel good, not that he was feeling good before.

"Hey, you look familiar." accused a female voice behind him; a rough type of voice, but not as much as from what he's heard from Soi Fong, it had a certain gentle quality to it.

"What is it?" He asked, turning around abruptly. Only to see the girl wearing a sleeveless tank top and shorts, holding an umbrella above her head, keeping most of her body dry. In her left hand were what appeared to be vegetables, raw, but they still looked good. "Oh, hi there Arisawa-san." He commented quickly, dropping his normal attitude.

"Yea, you're that one dude from our class. I Knew it." She looked at him uncomfortably, "What are you doing here standing alone in the rain?" She asked, looking at his drenched clothes.

He just turned around and walked away, "I'm fine." He said resolutely.

She felt the anger just going straight to her head, she hasn't been in one of the best of moods lately, and she was ready to clock anyone, even a new kid who just happened to be a friend of Ichigo. She just threw caution to the wind and kicked Renji in the back of the head, "Idiot." She took his now unconscious body over her shoulder and continued to walk home. "Don't get the wrong idea, I'm doing this just because you're a friend of Ichigo-san."

_What kind of friend's does Ichigo have? _Renji asked himself, as he soon as he woke up. _I dunno if she's scary or if i'm starting to like her._


	7. 99 Red Balloons

**Author's Notes: **This song I really liked, it's 99 Red Balloons by Nena, I really took a liking to it for some reason or another, and I applied it to an important scene in Bleach. I really wanted something fluffy so that would explain the ending.

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**99 Red Balloons by Nena**

My memory of those several months is a bit rusty, I blame all those days confined in that damned tower. But the memory of the past several weeks appear almost as if they all happened at once yesterday. It felt as if life never happened before I met Ichigo, but it slowed down and sped up all at the same time. Was I really thinking about him that much? It felt like it was only yesterday that we went to the Urahara Shoten to check what they had stocked up.

_You and I in a little toy shop_

_Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got_

_Set them free at the break of dawn_

_'till one by one they were gone_

_Back at base, sparks in the software_

_Flash the message "something's out there"_

_Floating in the summer sky_

_Ninety nine red balloons go by_

But what happened next? Running, as those who were sent to find me from the Soul Society close on my tail, wanting me for seemingly petty crimes. It felt horrible to be hunted by the division leader of the sixth, and his sub-captain, my best friend. Did he really want to kill me? I still have yet to ask him. But it did hurt, to be hunted by my brother and friend.

_Ninety nine red balloons_

_Floating in the summer sky_

_Panic bells, it's red alert_

_There's something here from somewhere else_

_The war machine springs to life_

_Opens up one eager eye_

_And focusing it on the sky_

_The ninety nine red balloons go by_

I remember when they finally arrived, the fear I felt, the betrayal, the hatred, just all human emotions flooding me down with every bit of my soul that was poured into it. I want to ask Ichigo some day if he ever felt that, that sadness, that betrayal. Why am I even thinking about this? Of course he has, These things happened to me over the course of many, many years, while Ichigo; all his happened in a short span of time. I'm such an idiot. Maybe that's why he came to save me, because I was such an idiot.

_Ninety nine decisions treat_

_Ninety nine ministers meet_

_To worry, worry, super scurry_

_Call the troops out in a hurry_

_This is what we've waited for_

_This is it boys, this is war_

_The President is on the line_

_As Ninety nine red balloons go by_

I can't believe that boy sometimes, training in less the a month, gaining what takes over ten, twenty years. Achieving the release of his ban, and becoming one of the strongest non-captains the soul society has ever known. Who does he think he is? So reckless, so stupid, yet I still forgave him for all his vices.

_Ninety nine knights of the air_

_Ride super high-tech jet fighters_

_Everyone's a super hero_

_Everyone's a Captain Kirk_

_With orders to identify_

_To clarify and classify_

_Scramble in the summer sky_

_Ninety nine red balloons go by_

Why is it that I say I'm so much older then him? Taking pride in my age, yet at that time, I felt like he was someone who could teach me more about really living, not just as a doll for show. Just standing there, watching so many people fight for me. Sometimes, picking up the pieces that remain and staring over with what I have. Which is everything I had before. Just one extra piece to a long puzzle that may never end for me and him.

_As ninety nine red balloons go by_

_Ninety nine dreams I have had_

_In every one a red balloon_

_It's all over and I'm standing pretty_

_In this dust that was a city_

_If I could find a souvenir_

_Just to prove the world was here_

_And here is a red balloon_

_I think of you and let it go_

But letting go, is something I can't do. That's why I'm holding this extension of our soul right now. Five years have passed since you saved me Ichigo. Those years that we spend together seem like the only ones I really remember. Yet, this one's soul isn't a gigai, she still has the chain of fate connected to it, she can't speak, her legs aren't fully developed yet, yet this is my proof that my world is still here. Our one month-old baby girl.


	8. Horseback

**Author's Notes: **My friend wanted me to write something about horses, so I decided on doing this. Hell, if they have birds in the soul society, why can't they have horses?

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**Horseback**

Being a captain at such a young age is quite troubling often, everyone looks down upon you, people think your 'cute', and they always misjudge how strong you really are. But that's what morning rides are for. If there was one hobby I've love to do, it's horseback riding. I'm no samurai in a great epic battle, riding his faithful war steed into battle. When I'm riding this horse, named Flicker, I'm just another Konpaku riding a horse.

Matsumoto, my Vice, has always said that I look heroic riding a horse, that she could imagine me in traditional Japanese clothing, my katana around my back, riding through the sunset to rescue some damsel in distress. Damn her and her romantic dreams, but it's a compliment nonetheless to look so gallant riding Flicker.

There's something about the wind in my face, the brown fur underneath my legs, the galloping, the sudden stop, the horse suddenly rearing up that gives me some kind of peace in a world that is always changing. Sometimes I do delight myself into taking along other people on the back, namely Hinamori and Matsumoto. I don't mind either of them, when I'm riding my horse, I just forget my problems, my paperwork, my Zanpakuto, my duties as a soul reaper and just let loose and roam free.

My horse is a full grown stallion, I gave him the name flicker due to how his vital signs were flickering when I first found him. His eyes are a deep black, as if there is something deeper to him. His fur is a deep, dark brown like the bark of an old sycamore tree. Something I've never done was put a saddle and stirrup on him, it ruins his natural beauty in my opnion.

It's that Feel of the being free that really lets me feel free from the paperwork of my division; now if only my Vice-Captain would do a little more work and stop laying there looking pretty.


	9. Kindness and Klutz

**Kindness and Klutz**

Unohana sat on the back porch of her office, sipping herbal tea she made only a few minutes earlier. Her long shimmering thick black hair was braided behind her, unlike normally when her hair is braided around her neck and onto her chest. Her Zanpakuto was no where to be seen, as she most likely put it away. She never really has much of a liking towards edged weaponry, but she hers was one for cleansing those who are already dead, not for killing them again. Taking a sip from her cup, she savored in the warmth of the tea looking into the distance into the quiet city below.

"Quiet day, isn't it, Koutetsu-san?" Asked Unohana, her soft and delicate voice piercing through the nighttime like a swift bird moving through the ocean's sky.

The swelling of air gave away her vice captain's presence, "Oh, sorry for interrupting taichou." she quickly apologized. "I'll go back to bed now."

Her captain's sweet voice beckoned back to her again, "Come now Koutetsu-san. Sit and talk with me" She smiled, looking over to her vice. Captain Unohana of the fourth is not a fighter, nor is she a defender. She's the nurse of the Gotei 13. Whereas she doesn't have much of a fighting spirit, her ability to heal makes up for any shortcomings.

Isane Koutetsu dragged herself over to next to her captain, her white robe complimenting her white hair and brown eyes which contrasted beautifully with the black and blue nighttime sky. Sitting down, she placed her feet under her rear and rested her hands on her lap. "Yes Taichou?" She asked politely.

Unohana, "It's still hectic since that ryoka left. What was his name again?" She asked, taking another short sip of her tea. "Come, take a glass and enjoy yourself."

Shyly, Isane took a cup from the tray next to her and poured herself some of the tea, taking a sip, she felt relieved immediately as her muscles relaxed and comfort filled her. "Yes, it has been. I think his name was…Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo."

The older women smiled, thinking about the name of that ryoka who utterly saved many lives by only meaning to really save one. "That's a nice name. One who protects. It's fitting, don't you think?"

Her partner took another sip before replying, "I'm a klutz, so I'll say something wrong if you keep asking me questions like this taichou!" she flushed.

Unohana let out a small giggle, "You are who you are. That's all I can ever ask for, you're a klutz, but a kind one. So don't let it get to you." her voice like poetry filled the spiritual air.

Isane nervously laughed, but then broke out into a true giggle, "I don't know wether to take that as a compliment or an insult taichou."

"Oh you know me. Anyways, how's your sister? Still perky as ever I assume?" She asked, referring to Kiyone, who held the third seat in the thirteenth division.

Isane finished her tea, putting down the cup back onto the tray. "She is. For someone who yells a lot, she sure has a lot of energy that never runs out." Isane looked down at the tray with two empty cups laying on it, and an empty beaker, "I'll go put this away." standing up and taking the tray with her.

Doing the same, Unohana stood up gracefully, "Thanks Koutetsu-san. Be sure to get some rest. Okay?"

"Okay." she whispered back before exchanging a smile and walking to their own respective rooms.


	10. School Dance: Midlnight Blue

**Author's Notes: **This is going to consist of around six parts, but not the same pairing. Anyways, enjoy. Also, READ AND REVIEW MY FICS PEOPLE! PLZ PLX PLIX PLIZ PLZZZZ...Okay, that was gay. Just read and review people.

Also, this one here, i really enjoyed writing this one, and i would seriously like some reviews for this one.

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**School Dance, take the night away**

Ichigo remembered how long it took to choose a tie for the only school dance of the year. Rukia chose his tie, just because she wanted him to look different; even though Ichigo wasn't allowed to look at what Rukia was going to wear. She said it was only because she wanted it to be a surprise and promised him that she'd be waiting there as soon as he arrived. ("That's a bunch of BS Rukia, you know your always late!") But, without any choice, Ichigo got dressed and left his house. (He ignored his dad's statement about grandchildren with Rukia. Why did she have to live with them?)

Arriving at the gymnasium, he noticed that pretty much everyone hew knew from school was there, the crowds weren't that bad, since the size of the gym seemed equal in size to the principle's gut. Along the left side of the area were lined tables with punch, snacks and a random couple making out. Like always, Ichigo walked over to his normal group of friends who were standing in one corner the gym, some sitting down on chairs. He wasn't that surprised at who he saw in this 'bachelor' party, but there were more people then besides the usual.

Renji was decked out in a brown suit and red tie with black shoes. His hair was tied back a bit neater then normal and the scent of cologne was somewhat strong around him. Ikkaku was dressed up in a normal suit, white and black. In his belt he carried a wooden boken. When Ichigo asked, he just replied that he came just to make sure nothing happens. Same with his friend Yumichika who was dressed similarly. The two big surprises was Hitsugaya who sort of stood out with his silver hair, his suit was pretty much the same as everyone else's except for the ice-blue tie. (Apparently Matsumoto dragged him along.) And there was Ishida, but that's another story all together with his ornate quincy clothing.

"Tch, I knew she wouldn't be here early." Commented Ichigo, eyeing around for his female live-in friend.

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions if I were you!" Matsumoto appeared almost out of nowhere, Keigo tried to jump her again, staring at her better parts, but he was pretty much shot down as soon as she took her Captain in hand.

Ichigo looked at her, she was wearing a pink dress with a small skirt, her top was the same shade as pink, which made her look like a gaudy, but sexy, businesswomen. "What do you mean?" He asked, looking around for the oh-so familiar gigai of his female companion.

The buxom female vice captain smiled at Ichigo, chuckling slightly, "Don't worry. She's here." She smiled, taking Hitsugaya with her to one of the tables that lined the perimeter of the gym.

Sighing, Ichigo slumped over and glanced at Ishida. Ichigo noticed that the quincy wasn't paying any attention at all, "Hey, what are you looking at?" He asked him, who was paying absolutely no attention. He looked over at Renji, no response, Yumichika and Chad as well. None of them were paying any attention to Ichigo. He found out why, turning around to see who they were all staring at.

Behind him stood probably the most beautiful person Ichigo had ever seen. She was short, no more then 4'10, which would put her at a head and shoulders shorter then Ichigo, but the high heels she was wearing made her seem taller. The dress she wore fit her perfectly, a midnight blue skirt that reached down a little above her heals hugging her waist a bit, but not so tight that it seemed uncomfortable, the blouse she wore revealed part of her collar bone, the sleeves only extended just a bit beyond her shoulder, it was semi-low cut to just above the cleavage point, (Ichigo never really noticed Rukia's breasts, but this is probably the first time they've really stood out.) She wore two beautiful earrings, both of which were gold (Ichigo assumed gold plated, but with a person like her, it's hard to tell). But like always, Ichigo was at an utter loss for words.

"It seems you made it, Ichigo." She walked towards him slowly, seeing the blood rise to his cheeks faster then she could yell 'hollow'. Her words like sweet poison to his ears, still loss in the beauty, his tongue paralyzed due to some unknown force. It was as if his body was put under some kind of spell, all that the three other soul reapers who were present could figure out was that she used some kind of un-chanted kidou on them, but it effected Ichigo the most.

Finally, the trance broke for a few slight moments, as words finally escaped his mouth, choppy at best, but still only one word made any kind of sound that could be audibly heard "Rukia…"

She sensed how entranced he was with her, so she decided to spare him the embarrassment of having to say the first words. "Come then Ichigo. You're the one who invited me, at least take me dancing." She grabbed him by the arm and wove hers around his, walking towards the dance floor as the first of the more romantic songs played. While walking, she looked up at Ichigo, "Anything to say?" she nudged him.

He wanted to remain silent, he noticed all eyes on them seemingly. She was early, but how she got dressed so quickly confused him. "You were early." He said, the only logical thought coming to his mind.

Fully expecting that kind of answer from Ichigo, she replied promptly, "There's a phrase you humans use nowadays, it's 'I-told-you-so." She mused the thoughts that were going through her mind.

"Oh shut up. You're normally late." He said, trying to get some kind of conversation going between him and her.

Rukia smiled, "You assume that I'm always late."

"No, it's just that you're always late." He replied, a small argument already starting.

"I'm always on time idiot, you just never see me."

"Then why is it you always make some kind of excuse, even if it's obviously a lie?"

"Don't you believe me?"

"Nope."

"Shut up and put your arms around my waist." she commanded, already in the middle of the dance floor. Without a second thought, Ichigo placed her hands on Rukia's waist, not holding her close, but at a distance. Rukia sighed, "Do I have to do everything?" She protested. She pulled Ichigo closer, for such a short person, she was quite strong. She placed her arms around his chest, (Times like this she hated being short.) and rested her head just below his chin.

Ichigo complied and placed his arms around her, holding her and showing no signs of letting go. "I'm not the dancing type." he said, trying to make an excuse.

"I know you're not. I'm not the type to take no for an answer though."

"I know you are. I know you're also not the type to dress up so nicely for a silly school dance."

"Maybe. But is it really silly? I think it's cute."

"Yea. Right. My reputation is going to be ruined now."

"Reputation? I would think it would go up, considering you're dancing with the most important and beautiful girl in the school."

"Says who?"

"You."

"Oi. If they only knew the truth, that I'm dancing with someone who could be my great-great-great-great-grandmother."

"Shut up idiot."

"Well, a grandmother with the maturity of a teenager."

"I wouldn't be talking dumbass. Your only fifteen yourself. And since I look like a teenager and act like one, I fail to see the problem."

"You do fail to see a lot of problems, don't you?"

"So do you."

"Shut up."

"Now look who's being defensive."

"Quiet shrimp."

"Meatball head."

"Short stuff"

"Strawberry head."

"You know you're going to loose this fight, just like all the rest, right?" Rukia said, holding him a bit tighter, but not in a bad way.

Ichigo felt a smirk coming on, "Yea, I know."

"So why don't you give up?"

"Cause I'm not like that."

"I know." A short silence between the two echoed as the song kept on playing. Quickly enough, Rukia felt the need to break that silence, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Any comments?"

"On what?"

"You know, my dress!"

"It's nice."

"Nice!" She nearly screamed, "That's all?" Pressing Ichigo's pressure points.

Ichigo squirmed a bit, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, okay, okay. I'll admit it. You look beautiful."

"You know, that's the first time I've ever been told that?" She added.

"Shut up, it's true. Either that or you cast some kind of kidou on me."

"If I did, we'd be in bed right now."

"Oh you wish."

"So do you."

"Your not getting in my pants."

"Nor are you getting in mine."

"You do know the song stopped." Rukia noticed, still holding onto Ichigo.

"So?"

"It's embarrassing"

"Oh look at yourself Ms. I-love-making-a-scene."

"Do we stop?"

"Nah, just close your eyes and keep on dancing."

"Fine."

Without any care in the world, Ichigo and Rukia just kept on dancing, even though the music long since stopped. People were still looking at them, not sure what to make of it. The most violent, deep, well known, strawberry head, dancing with the most loud, attention gathering, short girl who went to their school in his grade. Some said it was cute, some wern't sure what to make of it. But then again, there's nothing normal about that couple, after all, it's death and strawberry.

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_Author's Note: Man, i noticed how riddled this one was with grammer errors. If you find anymore, tell me. I don't mind really. (Just don't flame) Also, doesn't death and strawberry sound like an ice cream flavor? Really! It does!_


	11. School Dance: Two Dragons

**Reviewer Replies: **Spell-Check: Lovely name, anyways, I've had that happen to me a massive amount of times, normally I find my mistakes, but that one seems to go over my eyes a lot. I use Word Perfect, and it only comes with a really handy spell checker, but no grammar check. So I'll take a look into those right now. 

Teara: Well that explains why the spell checker didn't catch it.

Lacus: It's funny though, I actually didn't know it was originally in German until I did research on it. Both versions sound really cool though.

Notnow: I know, I know! (I'd be using emoticons, but then my word perfect get's all bitchy at me.) I said it's overall my first time doing drabbles, if you look at my other stories I've written, they're all long and drawn out. Also, Renji might also be a bit depressed, rain does that to you sometimes. Finally, I'm still new to the whole honorifics same. I'll fix that as I learn more. (Be nice if someone gives me a review telling me all the prefixes!)

Anyways, thanks to all your reviews, it's some inspiration for continuing, well that and my notebook with ten pages filled with drabble ideas.

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**School Dance: Two Dragons**

Nobody really knows why Renji went to the school dance except for the person who invited him, not that he had any choice in the matter since he was living with this person for the time being. He was leaning against the wall when she asked him (More like commanded him) to go with her. His only response was a somewhat firm "Hell no."

Too bad Renji never really had a thing for knowing when he's going to loose a fight, his roommate is Tatsuki Arisawa, possibly the only other person besides Rukia who could beat down Renji whenever he did something stupid, "Don't give me that hell no bull. You're coming with me, I look like an idiot going alone."

Him and her have been far pass their 'shy-ness' stage and even farther from the 'I'm sorry' stage, now it's onto the 'fight-like-Ichigo-and-Rukia' stage. Of course, like Ichigo and Rukia, Renji _always_ lost. "Over my dead body." But what made this even worse for Renji was that Tatsuki is pretty much the strongest women in Japan.

Tatsuki cracked her knuckles while walking menacingly towards Renji who knew what was coming. "Well that can be arranged.". To put it to rest, Renji did end up going, even though no one noticed his broken ribs during the dance.

Arriving at the dance scene with Tatsuki, the people were just starting to arrive, both in cars and by foot. But the place was barely crowded. Tatsuki looked around for someone she knew besides her impromptu 'date'. Then she spotted her, making little gesture, she began to walk in that person's direction, "Hey, you go find your friends. I have to help Rukia change and get ready." she commented, before walking away.

_"Rukia is here? With who? Probably Ichigo." _Renji just sighed, "Just who am I going to find here?" he asked himself. But before he could do anything someone in the distance yelled something about a pretty-boy and a bald guy. That answered his question. "I guess I'll go hang out with Ikkaku and Yumichika and see what they're up to." He told himself, sensing their increased spiritual power behind and to his left.

"Hey, Renji, sup?" asked a rather rough male voice that could only be Ikkaku. "Didn't expect to see you here." He added, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Neither did I really. But then again, my roommate forced me to go." He sighed, admitting defeat to someone was hard enough, but this person was human, not even a shinigami.

Ikkaku stared at him, "You? Admit defeat? Just because your in a gigai doesn't mean you can go all pussy on me." he stated, his grip on his boken tightening.

Renji coughed, as if trying to hide the fact, "If you had a roommate like this, you'd go too." He stated, trying to avoid the fact that he's living with Tatsuki. But that ploy soon died off.

"Dammit Renji!" A flying kick to the then, followed up by a kick to the groin suddenly surprised Renji, and left him on the ground holding his crotch, "I've been yelling to you for like the last ten minutes! Didn't you hear me dumbass?"

Renji looked up, irritated and pissed off, "You don't yell nearly loud enough! Get off my case!" Standing up, he felt the slight pain in his head go away, but his crotch still hurt. The R&D boys are going to pissed when he gets back.

"Oh shut up, I don't give a damn if you're a shinigami or what, your living under my roof, so do as I say." She scolded him, crossing her arms.

Renji looked behind him, Ikkaku was already at least a few yards away, backing off slowly, waving goodbye, "good luck bro!" He said before breaking out into a full run.

"I SAID COME WITH ME DAMMIT." Tatsuki kicked him again, then dragged him off. This was going to be a long day.

Suddenly something else hit him, not physical pain, but something in his mind. _"How did she know I was a shinigami?" _He'll ask her later.


	12. Old man Zangetsu

**Zangetsu**

The old man stared at the wall of world, as if staring out the eyes of Ichigo What makes this boy tick? How much pressure can this boy take before he utterly explodes? Only Zangetsu knew that. And that was a secret he would keep. "Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo." he commented to the empty world around him.

"Oh what about him?" A sharp, harsh voice generated behind him, coming from the soulless hollow that inhabited Ichigo's soul as well. "Ready to tell me yet old man? What can make him break?"

Zangetsu stood there looking out the opaque window quietly contemplating his thoughts, if he could, he would crush this hallow in a moment. But the moment he does that, he will just reappear. "The moment you find that out is the moment he shatters you in an instant." He replied calmly.

The hollow walked closer to Zangetsu, and stood right behind him, holding a sword to his back, "So you actually believed what that bitch said?"

Zangetsu stood there and closed his eyes. Five sword materialized around him, each with the same hilt, but no cross guard and with different shapes. "Be gone with you hollow."

The monster weighed it's options and just sneered, "Ichigo is weakening and you know it old man, i'm all that makes him strong.." He lashed out, right before he fully disappeared.

The old man clad in black turned the world again, and walked up onto the roof behind him. Standing upright again. "Are you going to grow strong Ichigo just because she said so?" he said, raising his hand, a large mirror appeared in front of him. "Kuchiki Rukia." The mirror suddenly brought up a portrait of the girl and became slightly transparent. He walked into the mirror, the glass enveloping him and dissappearing.

He entered a hall of mirrors, each one representing a part of Rukia he knows. This hall was the longest out of all them that he's seen. Directly to his left, he saw the zanpakuto that the girl wielded. It was a women clad solidly in white, snow glittering all around her. "Sode no Shirayuki. Fits her well." He walked down the hallway further, scanning the memories Ichigo has had with her.

Walking down the hallways of mirrors, he noticed something written on the walls, he hasn't seen this before in any of Ichigo's memories. Just small sayings Ichigo had remembered, so Zangetsu didn't even bother to read them. Although, at the very end of the hallway, where the mirrors gave way to an empty hallway; one mirror had been placed directly in his path, in the center of the hallway. Looking at it, this picture was of that girl, Rukia, standing on something, her arms crossed. Around it was a long paragraph; he looked at it carefully, then placed his hand on it. A sound resonated throughout the hallways as this women's voice read it aloud.

"If it was defeat then you need to train harder." The women in the picture closed her eyes, her hands clenched shut, "If it was about your companions, then you just need to reseal those promises and become a more virtuous man." her stance began to become more dignified, "If it's about becoming a hollow, then just become strong enough until you can shatter it in an instant." Her eyes opened in defiance, she held her hand to her chest, "even if you can't rely on anyone else, Just pull yourself together and roar!" She started to yell, her eyes opening wider, "The you that still lives in my heart, Kurosaki Ichigo, Would do exactly that!" She finished, crossing her arms and smiling.

When this finished, the picture froze again, and the old man closed his eyes and smiled, "I was wrong about you Ichigo. You will grow strong, her strength that flowed from you to her, now flows between both of you freely." He started to laugh, the first time ever, "And when that time comes Kurosaki Ichigo, the time when you can utterly shatter your regrets. I will be there with you. And so shall she." He began to disappear, from his bottom first, He looked behind him shortly, he saw the white sword of the Sode No Shirayuki, "I guess I'll be seeing you more often, sword of snow and ice." he smiled in triumph, as if he knew the future.

Zangetsu and Ichigo, they share one thing in common. Sheer and utter determination, that was also the bonding trait between Ichigo and Rukia. The old could already hear the roar of shatters of regrets, the roar that first started out as determination and the will to save someone.

The sky never wept rain again.


	13. Ten Facts about Him

**Ten Facts about him**

There are several things I've learned over time about living with Ichigo, but it seems his family still hasn't learned one of these yet seemingly, and I've mastered the art of taming the animal I call Ichigo. Of course, if he really was an animal, I'd be ridiculed like hell for falling in love with that animal. Of course, it's hard to mistake the Ichigo species for anything else due to his bright orange hair.

The first thing I learned easily enough was the time he likes to be in bed by, that means the time he just likes to lay there with me next to him. Of course that's only when his folks aren't home and we didn't just get over a huge fight, even in that case, he still wants to be in bed by a certain time. Usually on weekdays Ichigo gets to sleep at around ten in the afternoon, rarely earlier though. Most of the time we get to sleep at around the same time during those days, but there are those situations where we have to go out, wether it be a meeting or killing hollows. If we get plan to get home late, we let the soul candy take our places, even if it hurts Ichigo's pride. Though he also learned to keep the window opened just in case my cell rang and I had to kill a hollow.

Of course there are those times when he closes the window after I leave, and when I get back, I smack my face square into it, and he just laughs. Of course he gets his just deserves when Chappy throws him out the window and lets me in. He's had to sleep outside often because of that.

The next thing I learned was how to sleep in the same bed with him. It just happens to be that once a month, Yuzu needs my mattress (which is in his closet) to clean. Rendering me for one week, in his bed alongside with him. At first for him it was dead awkward, I didn't really mind at all really. But for a few nights, and mornings he'd either wake up on the floor, me on the floor, or him staying awake all night watching me sleep (the last one is cute.) But after a while he got used to me sleeping next to him in his small bed. Surprisingly, he doesn't move as much as I thought he would when he sleeps and apparently neither do I. (Probably we're both used to sleeping in limited space) And then there are those awkward moments when I wake up and he's holding onto me so tightly, I have to throw him out the window. But that's besides the point as well.

When we go out at night, we always have an argument about who gets to fight the hollow sometimes, which then again, always turns out into the hollow impaling itself into Zangetsu. So after a while we made a plan on who gets what kind of hollow. I take the faster and smarter ones, while Ichigo would take the stronger ones. And every so often we would have the kill the really strong ones as a team. But then he always blames me for giving him frost bite. Not my fault he doesn't know my zanpakuto yet.

The way he fights is easy to get used to, he fights off raw power and not much else. If he sees the sword coming at him, he block. If he sees an opening, he attacks. Not much more then that. But that also leads me to have fun sparing with him, which I have a tendency to win only out of pure strategy that I can formulate. Not to mention he can't keep up with me without using his Bankai. And he always forgets I have chappy with me. (Shut up, I know it's cheating, but do I care? Not really!)

Of course, there's always awkward moments between me and him, which have seem to have taken a dive to the, lets say, more sensual side? (Mental note: Kill everyone at R&D for making the hormones in this damn gigai the same as the age it presents) Which then, while really romantic at times, does get embarrassing even for me. The way he handles them (when caught that is) is mainly by blaming me right off the bat, or the closest person of relation to him. Which then I always kick him in the spot where it counts, then proceed to, if I may use this Ichigo-inspired term, kick the shit out of him. Then there are those times when we're in private, he handles them well, too well at times though. We've already had our experiences of kissing anywhere and everywhere seemingly; Movie theaters when our hands accidently (or so he says) touch, or when we're trying to get into the phone booth and we get in at the same time, then there was the time when we were at the very back of a bus and there wasn't enough room, so I had to sit on his lap. (It's funny getting mistaken for a married couple though!)

Anyways, enough of those embarrassing moments, another thing that's important to know if your me (Well, I highly doubt your me. But that's besides the point) is when you need rescuing, you get rescuing. No matter how much you say 'no, don't do it, I'll be fine' he'll still do it. But that's not a bad thing necessarily. Why I remember the time way back when he went to the soul society, got the place up all in an uproar, all in the process, nearly getting kill four times. An idiot I guess, but a sweet idiot.

Between me and Ichigo, there is one massive difference between our wardrobes, he likes tight clothing and I can't stand it. I'm much more the type for a skirt then pants. While he's just the other way around. But I guess it doesn't matter, since whenever people mock him for his type of clothing, he usually gives them a death glare, and if they keep on doing it, he beats them up. Although there are the times when that one guy, tall, ugliest hair ever I've ever seen and thinks he's all that. But it doesn't help that the same idiot either A. Hits on me, or B. Finally realizes that I'm Ichigo's girlfriend and then tires to kidnap/hurt me. And by the way, I'm not paying for his hospital bills. (Ichigo knows that I'm not nice when people try to hurt me)

One thing people don't really know about Ichigo is that sometimes he is a bit over protective, not that I don't mind and all it's just that he's always complaining about me being around him a lot, but yet he still follows me around, making sure I'm safe. I swear, sometimes, it's just plain old annoying.

But Ichigo is Ichigo, and if there's one fact I know that I'm sure of, is that he cares for me. Believe me when I say this, he isn't afraid to goto hell and back (he actually did once) just to rescue me, or save me from something. Of course, he still has a long way to go before anything happens. (I could be wrong, I just say that.) Now that I'm finally done with this, I need to go back into the mysterious juice box.

"ICHIGO!"

-Rukia


	14. Peeking out the door

**Peeking out the door**

Rukia laid there, in his closet on top of his mattresses like always, a thick blanket covering her body entirely, her eyes staring at the ceiling and the small light the very top. She wanted to pull out a flashlight and read more of her manga, but she decided against that. _"Ichigo, I wonder why you haven't spoken to me about why I decided to stay?" _She thought to herself, adjusting her head so that she was staring at the closed sliding door. _"It feels so good laying here, it's so much more warm and inviting then anywhere in the Soul Society."_

The girl adjusted herself a bit, so that she was in a more comfortable position, her mind started to wander, _"What was it that I felt when Ichigo was holding me under his arm? I felt so safe as if everything right, as if I was meant to be there." _Rukia remembered the time when he saved her, even though she didn't want to be saved. Rukia found herself opening the closet door slightly, the moonlight weaving through the window and into her eye, she found herself staring at Ichigo, who was still awake. _"He's still awake? I wonder what he's thinking about?" _She asked no one.

Ichigo stood up and started to walk towards the closet, Rukia just watch as he didn't even look down as if he saw her. He said to himself, "Damn, it's cold out here." Ichigo leaned against closet door. "Fuck it. Rukia, I'm coming in with you."

"_Whoa! What!"_ her mind raced, it's been several long months, but this even surprised her. The closet door opened, "dammit Ichigo!" She yelled silently, "Why are you still awake?" She asked.

Ichigo slowly moved in with Rukia into the large closet, "Too damn cold out there." He said, bringing in his own covers as well. "Just shut up and move over dammit." he said, laying very, very uncomfortably close to Rukia. He took her blanket and his and wrapped them around himself and herself. Rukia naturally turned herself around, to face Ichigo, She couldn't tell but she could feel his smile. Then she felt his warm arms caress her back and bring her close to him, she felt the warmth of his body emanate into hers.

"Ichigo?" she asked silently.

He just kissed her forehead, "We're skipping school tomorrow. We left early in the morning to get to school early, that's why dad didn't see us leave." He said silently.

Rukia silently understood, he was going to skip class with her to get more sleep. "Fine then idiot."

"Heh, shorty" It was warm, just the way she liked it.


	15. Showering

**Author's Notes: **I had this one written a while back, but I wasn't all too happy with how it turned out, so I waited a bit, thought about it. I don't know really. But anyways, Sorry for the long update time, I've had to do a lot of work, with Christmas and all, also I won't be doing much updating for a while, since well; I have important exams coming up (SATs) and I need to study a lot. But hey, have fun.  
**Reader Replies: **Um, read and review people?

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**Showering**

The gentle purring of the showerhead rose and fell as the water spilled out from it in a gentle torrent that hit Rukia's shoulders and cascaded down around her chest, gently flowing around her breasts, flowing onto her and into her well tuned stomach, around her hips and waist down her legs and onto the floor below her. She stood there, letting the water hit her like a soft rain warming and cooling her face.

It has always been a mystery of how this 'shower' worked, how the water managed to pull itself so far up into the shower head and then escaping it as if something was controlling it. But no matter; this was far more comfortable then the cold baths in her brother's house. Rukia played with her hair, her eyes squinting as the warm water rushed onto her face. Her hair, normally curly, came down around her eyes, nearly obscuring her vision. Rukia gently wove her hands through her midnight blue hair.

Outside she heard the silent purring of her close friend, maybe even boyfriend in some circles, but as of the moment, he was standing outside, maybe out of habit, "You know Ichigo, now that I _officially_ live in this house, you don't have to stand guard outside." She pointed out with a slight trace of familiarity in her voice, along with a strand of laughter.

The boy outside the door hit the door, possibly with his hand but more likely his head resting against the frame, "Yea, yea, I know. But I don't want Kon to suddenly come in and try to peek in on you." The lock on the bathroom door hasn't worked in years, so it made it easy for anyone to enter and exit. But it gave any privacy in the bathroom a luxury.

Rukia smiled as she began to soap her chest, rubbing the small mounds as they began to foam up from the mixture of soap and water, "I don't think it's that big of a deal you know. Not like he'll live much longer if he came in here." she mentioned.

Ichigo growled a bit, but not necessarily out of anger, "Che, whatever. He's was never really alive to begin with."

Deep down Rukia knew that Ichigo was just being protective, maybe over-protective, but that was a trait of his she easily overlooked. Rukia had already gotten used to living at the Kurosaki residence and clinic, (she swore it was a morgue at times, her 'father' was that weird). The only real surprise in everything was learning of Isshin's past. She felt safe there, having two of the strongest soul reapers the Soul Society has ever known in the same house with her. The father never let on when he was in his gigai though, even if Ichigo wanted to talk to him about being a soul reaper, Isshin just shrugged it off as if it was a lie

Isshin had two split personalities when it came to him, one reminded her strongly of 'chappy', even at times to the point where she thought he invented him. But when he was a Soul Reaper, he changed nearly completely. His seriousness seemingly similar to Urahara and his sense of duty stronger then that of Yamamoto.

Her train of thought was suddenly broken by the unstopping beeping of her cell phone, which was safely in the hands of Ichigo. Or so she thought. The beeping was muffled, but not as much as she thought it was. It wasn't with Ichigo, it was with her, on the counter in the bathroom. "Crap!" She yelled loudly, accidently hitting the 'cold' knob, turning it all the way up. A blast of cold water rushed onto her back, as she squealed, "OH CRAP!" She yelled, rushing to turn off the shower. But as she did so, she slipped on the soap just as Ichigo rushed into the room to see what was happening.

"Rukia! What happened!" He yelled, rushing into the room, only to be greeted by Rukia falling out of the tub. Ichigo managed to catch her, but due to the force of how she was falling and how he caught her, he turned a bit, forcing Rukia under him, he braced her fall a bit, holding onto the towel rack to his left. But that soon gave way as Ichigo finally fell onto Rukia. The beeping suddenly stopped.

Suddenly Yuzu and Karin ran up the stairs and stared into the bathroom, a look of horror spread across their face. Ichigo had his face right above Rukia's breasts, she had her hands on his head, as a look of pain was plastered on her face.

Ichigo brought his head up a bit, only to come face to face with Rukia's mounds. He just laid there, ignoring everyone else in the room, almost naturally his gaze shifted downwards.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING BASTARD!" Rukia yelled so loudly, it could of been thought that a murder was taking place, and that's nearly what is was. Rukia pushed Ichigo off her and quickly pulled a towel around her chest. Ichigo, still dumbfounded, couldn't find the words for an excuse. One quickly came to his mouth in the shape of Rukia's foot. She kicked him down to the ground as she straddled him and pounded his face continually as he lay there helpless. "YOU SON OF A BITCH"

Ichigo pushed Rukia off himself, "Dammit you bitch!" His face red with marks from being hit, "It was you're damn phone that rang!"

Rukia gave a disapproving cough, "Whatever, get the hell out and let me dry off idiot."

That night, neither of them got to sleep, both with the same thoughts in their head. 'What the hell just happened?


	16. Blackout

**Author's Notes: **The idea of this one is to make people guess, it's almost like a script, but it's not. It's just going to be people in the dark, and you have to figure out who's who.**  
**

**Edit: Jan 16:** I swear i've proofread this thing twelve times already, and i'm still finding mistakes. Anyways, i just cleaned this up a bit and made it all friendly-like...well, i mean, more readable and stuff. Also, i don't...nevermind, I'll just ask when i write another chapter

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**Blackout**

"What the hell? What just happened?"

"I don't know, looks like the power went out."

"OW! That's my foot!"

"Huh? Foot?"

"Idiot, didn't you bring a flashlight?"

"I don't even know what that is!"

"Che, dammit, I'll go look for one. Orihime, you know what one is, right?"

"Oh, is that...?"

"THAT'S MY HAND YOU JUST STEPPED ON!"

"Who?"

"Who's hand?"

"I think it was Ichigo's hand you just stepped on Rukia..."

"Well if that's the case..."

"You bitch! Stop jumping on my hand! I'm looking for a flashlight!"

"..."

"Chad?"

"...What?"

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I got lost."

"Don't lie."

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOO!"

"Ugh, you brought him along with you?"

"Don't blame me, Keigo forced me along with him, he's afraid of the dark."

"No i'm not! Liar! LIES! LIES AND DECEIT!"

"It's getting loud in here."

"Shut up, you're the one who stepped on my hand to begin with!"

"Oh you be quiet. If I had chappy with me, I'd force one down your throat."

"STOP TALKING AND LOOK FOR THE DAMN FLASHLIGHT!"

"I don't even know what one looks like!"

"Idiot! Can't Shinigami see through dark?"

"Now look who's the dumbass! No, we cannot. After being one for long, shouldn't you know that by now?"

"Oh shut up, we never had to fight in complete darkness."

"Shinigami? What's that?"

"Fuck, I forgot Keigo was here too."

"Your fault."

"Shut up Rukia."

"Any idea where this so called 'flashlight' is?"

"How the hell should I know? Ask Mizuro, he knows this building the best."

"Well?"

"I don't know."

"YOU'RE USELESS! Huh? What's this? It's soft and squishy..."

"ICHIGO, THAT'S MY CHEST!"

"OW! You didn't have to slap me, bitch!"

"Shut up, don't try to feel me up, trying to take advantage of little old me in the dark!"

"That's it, you're sleeping in the closet today!"

"I always have!"

"Huh? Ichigo and Rukia live together? Whoa! Lucky you Ichigo! Chad, did you know about this!"

"...no."

"Skimping out on us, eh Ichigo? Getting all jiggy with Rukia behind our backs!"

"Rukia, can I?"

"Sure."

"..."

BANG

"You think he's still alive?"

"Nope."

"Good, Now then, Chad, do you know where the flashlight is?"

"...No."

"Damn. Who else is here, say I."

"I am."

"I"

"Me."

"I'm here too."

"Yo."

"Whoa, it's dark in here."

"So there's me, Rukia, Chad, Orihime, what the hell? There are three more I's then there should be! Who's there!"

"Um, I've been here, you guys just were never paying attention to me..."

"Ishida?"

"Yep."

"Well, who else is here?"

"Where I am?"

"Wait, I know that voice anywhere, KON!"

"OH! I SMELL RUKIA! RUKIA MY LOVE!"

"...He's on my leg."

"Kon, stop humping Chad's leg."

"WHAT!"

"Oh what ever, I'm going to go over the...WHOA!"

"Gah! ICHIGO!"

"Watch out!"

"OW!"

"Dammit!"

"Get off me!"

"No, you get off me!"

"Hey! The lights are back on, yay!"

"Orihime, you're far too cheerful."

"...Look."

"...Ichigo. Answer me this. Why is Rukia on top of you, your hand up her skirt and your shirt is ripped? Just what were you doing before the lights went off?"

"..."

"..."

BAM

"Rukia, I think you killed Ishida."

"Shut up."

"Did you three see anything?"

"I didn't see anything."

"...no."

"Neither did I!"

"Good."

* * *

No idea why I wanted to do this drabble, if you couldn't tell, it started off with Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime and Chad. Then Mizuro and Keigo, followed by Kon. Yay! 

PS: I can't use my emoticons! Boo hoo!


	17. Sun shower

**Author's Notes: **Well, it's a lot of annoying work doing the title, Genre, and stuff like that, I'll just summerize all that at the start of the story. Much easier. Well, then, enjoy! I'm not sure if this was written before, but whatever.

**Sun Shower**

Catching the horizon, the sun worked its way high into the sky, piercing the white, fluffy clouds that dotted the blue sky. Below the sun the world moved around, slowly enjoying the calm day for once.

"Ichigo! Wait up!" Rukia exclaimed, running down the street, waving her hand as if she was trying to catch a taxi. Her pink one-piece dress fluttered in the soft wind that blue, her skin a soft pale complexion with her short hair being coated in the wind.

Ichigo turned around, his short-sleeved shirt contouring to his arms which were dug deep into his pockets. "Damn, you're slow."

Finally catching up, Rukia slowed down to a most certain stop and crossed her arms underneath her breasts, "Oh shut up. You're the one who's walking so fast, it's summer, remember? Wouldn't one want to rest?" she questioned him.

"Whatever, I'd think that people would be more active during this time of year." Ichigo responded slowly, leaning against a telephone pole. He brought his hands from his pockets and began to crack his knuckles, then pressed against the knuckles below each finger, causing them to pop.

"Why do you do that?" His female friend asked, cracking her own from watching Ichigo do it.

"Do what?" The sun hid behind some clouds, causing the area to darken slightly.

"Crack your knuckles, when I do it, it hurts, so why do you do it so often?" Rukia noticed she was doing it as well and promptly placed her hands behind herself and held each other tightly.

Ichigo closed his eyes with some disgust, "I don't know. Just habit I guess." Suddenly the strawberry-haired youth felt a slight cool droplet of water hit his arm. "Huh? It's not supposed to rain today." Suddenly another droplet hit him, soon, it was a soft drizzle that began to coat him in water.

Rukia looked up, the sun had began to come out of the clouds, "That's weird, it's raining, yet the sun is still out."

"Yep, it's called a sun-shower. Whenever it rains and the sun is out, I hear it's a good omen or something." Ichigo looked up at the gentle blue sky, this rain is always different, it's not as if the sun was weeping, but rather crying from happiness.

The female shinigami in the gigai closed her eyes and felt each droplet of rain hit her, the sun mixing with the rain and warmth for an almost nirvana like feeling, "This, this is really nice. I hate the rain, but this is really nice." She commented.

"Yea..." Ichigo found himself staring at Rukia as she enjoyed the droplets of water hit her face.

Rukia suddenly giggled, "Tee-hee, you sound like you're lost in though Ichigo." She opened her eyes and looked at Ichigo, "Or is it that you're staring at me?"

Ichigo quickly averted his stare and looked away from the wet girl, "Sh-Shut up. Let's get the hell out of here, before the rain gets harder." He began to walk away, trying to avoid looking at Rukia.

"Stay here Ichigo." She pleaded softly, with a some desperation in her voice, "Please? It's nice to have you around."

He turned around in slight disbelief, "Really?"

The girl smiled, "Yea. Just stay with me Ichigo, okay?" She grinned more, "Let's enjoy this sun-shower together. It's really nice."

Ichigo walked back to Rukia, and looked down into her eyes, they both smiled. "Heh, fine, only because you say so."

"You look good when you smile, you should do it more often!"

"Oh shut up and enjoy the rain." Ichigo took Rukia over into the nearby bench and sat her down, she quickly found herself leaning her head against his shoulder, Ichigo's arm instinctively went around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, a tree behind them protected the two from the beautiful sun-shower. There they stayed until the rain finally stopped.

It didn't cease for another two hours.


	18. Aloof Compassion

**Aloof Compassion  
To Eris  
**

The Kuchiki family head walked silently through the corridors of the manse that covered a good acre of the interior of the city in which it lay in. Each turn leading into a few more rooms and more hallways, he always thought to himself how he felt like a mouse in a large maze looking for an unseen prize. But that was never the case, for the hundreds of years he lived here, he had memorized each and every room and their function. He simply passed the rooms that greeted him and proceeded to leave through a large wooden door at the end of the hall.

Unstopping, Byakuya made his way through the front gate of his estate and worked his way into the infinitely large and confusing corridors of the soul society. Several soul reapers he passed gave him a curt bow of respect, some saying 'good day captain Byakuya' or some saying nothing at all; Each of their pleasantries met with only silence. The long road stretched on and on, as if he was going in circles, sometimes he met a dead-end, he found himself hopping over the wall onto the other side.

Finally, he reached his destination, an area free of buildings, but only lay home to a broken stake and a large un-used gate. He stared at the door for a while before a gentle breeze caught his attention, "Unohana Retsu. How long have you been following me?" he addressed the wind.

A soft gentle voice filled the same wind, "I have only just arrived Captain of the sixth division." The voice grew slightly louder as the strong spiritual energy moved its way to the Sixth division captain's left. "You still can handle her being away, can you?" She asked gently, careful not to tear open any wounds that were still open in his heart.

He met her question with silence.

"I see. She reminds you of her, doesn't she?" She asked again, with a bit more force behind her voice.

Again, silence.

She bowed her head softly, and kneeled down onto the ground, cupped some of the dirt in her hand and let it go into the wind.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" He asked emotionlessly.

The women's head perked up softly, standing up she looked at her fellow captain, "That's a surprise." She said barely above a soft whisper, "You actually care for where I am."

Byakuya closed his eyes and gave her no response.

Unohana unbraid her hair that was around her neck, letting it loose into the wind, allowing it to dance in the soft breeze. "Admittedly or not, you have changed Captain Byakuya." She commented.

He nodded, "So what if I have? What business of it is yours?"

Smiling, Unohana tilted her head gently, "Absolutely none."

Silence filled the empty air once again, as she turned back and looked at the gate, no words came to mind, no one else really knew it at the time, nor did anyone ever really try to find out. But deep down, Byakuya always had this deep aloof compassion for his fellow captain. Maybe not love, but a deep unbreakable friendship wove between both of them.


	19. Have you Noticed?

**Author's Notes: **Like I stated earlier, I am taking requests, but please; Only cannon relationships. Meaning, normal ones, not gay or lesbian and stuff like that.

**Have you noticed?**

Have you noticed something about her,  
like how she may talk  
Or how she loves rabbits,  
Maybe you've even seen her cry.

But there's one thing I know about her that no one else does.  
That something about her that drives me insane.  
Aloof I may be when it comes to this matter,  
But I know how much she means to me,  
whenever she is near.

Even without her life keeps on going,  
That cell phone that never stops beeping,  
That sudden loud roar when her sword cries.  
That sudden deep calmness whenever she slays.

All I see when I sleep is her sometimes,  
The sound of her voice,  
The tears in her eyes,  
And the sight of her face.

I can never get use to her gone like this,  
I miss her soft voice,  
Her reishi and spirit that make up her soul,  
And that cocky voice that make her my friend.

It's all too surreal  
And lonely  
And quiet.  
And boring.  
...Without her,  
That girl Rukia Kuchiki.


	20. That lonley feeling

**Author's Note:** This one, I don't really know. I wrote this one from somewhere inside, I didn't think about this one at all, I just wrote, if this sucks, I don't care. But blah! I'll make the next one better.BTW, this is kind of spoiler-ish for chapters 200+

**That Empty Feeling**

You know that feeling you get when you're alone and there's nothing you can do about it? Where all of humanity seems to be against you? Yea, I know. It sucks; but what I can I do about it? Why do I have it? So many questions deep inside myself, yet I hide it as if nothing is wrong. I'm such an idiot. Just a simple idiot.

Whenever I look at them, I feel as if everything is perfect and fine, as if everything is where it's meant to be, I mean, gah! It's just that whenever I look at Rukia, I feel this strange happiness, like she's perfect for Ichigo and that I have no ill feelings whatsoever. Rukia is one of my best friends, I love her in that way, because I can always go up to her whenever I want to talk about something, but not this time. I just can't. I don't want to ruin her happiness.

Ichigo, whenever I see him, my heart pounds, my mind races. At times I'm just happy that he's around, and that I can look up to him. He's more then a simple brother, I love Ichigo but it's something that's not meant to be I guess. But I can't help but love him so much. So much that it hurts.

I'm jealous. For the first time, I'm just so damn jealous. Why though? Why? Dammit, why? I just want some kind of answer, I don't care who answers it, a god, a kami, I don't care! I just want to know why! Why do I goto sleep every night crying in my hands, yet when I wake up I goto school as if nothing happened?

What does Rukia have that I don't? I've been with Ichigo for almost three, four years now, and I still can't make him honestly happy. But you, just one sight of you brings him back to normal. I'm so jealous, I want what you have, I want to have Ichigo's heart in the palm of my hand. Why does life have to be this way? Why!

I want Ichigo to be happy. I want Rukia to be happy too. But why I can't I have a small piece of that happiness? I just want one small piece. Tomorrow is going to be more of the same. I'll wake up with my pillow soaked in tears, I'll dry my face and put my makeup on. I'll goto school and smile and laugh like always. I'll see Ichigo and Rukia, my heart will leap then fall, fall so deep yet I won't show it. I'll walk home alone, these thoughts running through my head. And I'll go home and eat. Eat a small and lonely meal, then cry for the rest of the night.

Have they noticed I've lost weight? My face looks so emaciated? That my eyes are sometimes swollen red when I goto school? How I've been missing school more and more? I don't know now. I want both them and me to be happy. But, I hate it. I hate everything. I just sometimes want to go away and disappear and never see anyone again. But it'll continue. Everyday the same, until I break.


	21. No way in hell

**No way in hell.**

"Okay Rukia, that's going too damn far." Ichigo pleaded, staring at what the shinigami in a gigai was holding up to him. He just stared at it, his eyes seething with annoyance and his chin clenched tightly.

Rukia pleaded with him, holding up the box, pushing it against his chest, sure she may be well over a hundred years old, but she didn't act it. She could easily pass for someone his age, which annoyed him to no end considering everyone in school thought that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. She didn't even _try_ to refute it. "Oh c'mon Ichigo! It's not going to kill you!"

The strawberry-headed teenager growled, "Like hell it won't! You know how badly my reputation would be stained if I was caught with one of those in my room?"

Rukia pouted, holding the box, "Well I don't even have a room! And it doesn't even look like I live there!" She argued, trying to get Ichigo to buy whatever it was she had.

"Yea right! You have a room. Dad made my closet your room, so what's the problem?" He retorted, pushing the box away from him. "Can't you put it there?"

Her 'angry' look flashed across her face, "Wrong! My room is your sister's room! Are you telling me that your father is making me change rooms!" She fumed.

Ichigo forgot, that was suppose to be a secret, "No! I said my sister's room dammit!"

"Spit it out!"

"What! I didn't say a damn thing!"

"SING TO ME!" She screamed, about ready to tackle him to the ground. Unknown to them, a small crowd was beginning to form around them, watching the fight.

"How about no!" He yelled back at her. The box was already placed on a nearby counter to prevent it from getting damaged, that's just Rukia's way of thinking ahead.

"I know there's something you're not telling me Kurosaki Ichigo!" Rukia felt her fist tighten as she felt a punch brewing in her arm.

"Tell you what dammit? I only said that you live in my closest. I mean, my sister's room." Realizing his folly, Ichigo knew what was going to happen. Rukia's fist went right to his stomach, causing him to fall to the ground in agony. "Dammit! That fricken hurt Rukia!" He exclaimed, holding his stomach in pain.

"Oh take it like a man! There's something you're not telling me, and I wanna know dammit!" She argued.

Ichigo, finally realizing his loss, quickly thought of a compromise, "Dammit, if I buy you that 'Chappy doll, along with those damned ceiling things, will you stop friggen badgering me!"He said loudly, trying to get up.

Rukia smiled in triumph, "Okay!" She gleamed, a complete contrast to how she was looking just a few seconds ago. Looking around, she noticed the crowd dissipate, some of them really disappointed that the fight wouldn't continue.

---

That night Ichigo spent his entire time staring at the rabbit ceiling stickers that were placed there permanently by Rukia. On his table sitting in the corner a chappy doll stared back at him, and in his closet he could hear the gentle breathing of his fellow Shinigami, when they got home, Isshin had finished the renovations to Ichigo's closet early. Rukia moved that night. Ichigo lost three fights that day. Two to his 'girlfriend' or more like 'torture master', and one to his dignity. "No way in hell am I going to do that shit again." He commented to himself as he tried to sleep, only to dream of Chappy Rukia attacking him in his sleep.

* * *

**Reader Responses: **Eris, I'm going to continue that theme of pairings with her and Byakuya, but I had to have some kind of start, I took into account how he is, and his devotion to his old wife. So don't completely rule that out altogether. Just a little cliff-hanger to keep you reading. 


	22. Cup of soup

**Author's Notes: **I can't update as much as I would like to, I have Regents exams this week, for those of you who don't know what they are think of it like this, final exams in the middle of the year, but harder at times, and much more important.

**Cup of soup**

Hitsugaya stood at the very foot of the bed, his zanpakuto resting in his hand, tired from the recent stressors of the day. A droplet of sweat came down from his temple and accumulated at the bottom of his chin. His cold eyes looked wearily, yet still caring at the same time at the mostly shrouded figure laying on the bed. "I couldn't save you." He mumbled gently under his breath. "I promised that I would save you, that I would kill anyone to make you cry." He closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears back.

The figure on the bed didn't need to look back, a transparent breather covered her mouth, her black hair laid back on the bed messily and her black eyes stay asleep perpetually.

"Hinamori." His fists tightened, "I swear, that next time. I will protect you." His eyes closed in anticipation, would she receive his promise when she wakes? Will she be angry at him? This confused and scared him, a question without any answers.

"Captain." A soft, delicate voice sung behind him, "You should get something to eat. You've been training with your Kidou again, so you need to replenish your energy." His buxom, yet at times, caring vice-captain, Matsumoto walked up behind Hitsugaya and offered him a bowl of soup.

Hitsugaya stood there silently, seemingly deep in though, "No, it's okay Matsumoto." He replied calmly.

Her voice became a bit more concerned, "It's not okay captain, you've been training very hard the last few days, and it is taking a toll on you."

His voice replied unwaveringly, "I said no thank you. I don't want to pull my rank on you Matsumoto."

"And as your elder, I said eat. I don't care if you're my superior or not. You really should eat." Her voice sounded agitated. "I worry about you captain. Your kind, and you get the work done. At least eat something."

"... fine."

Her voice perked up slightly while setting the cup of soup on a nearby table, "Thanks Captain." she began to walk away.

"Matsumoto, when we're alone like this, call me Hitsugaya. It doesn't matter to me."

She smiled while continuing to walk away, "Sure thing, Hitsugaya."

The young captain thought to himself, looking at the soup, it was chicken noodle. His favorite when he was still alive.


	23. Those that cry

**Author's Notes: **Regents are finally over, and I have some time to myself. NOT! Instead, my mother's birthday is coming up tomorrow, and I have to go on a two day trip to Toronto, so much. Fun. But once I get back, I'll get some more chapters up.

* * *

**Those that cry**

"My foot!" Bellowed Orihime, finally noticing the blinding pain that came up from her foot, which seemingly took five minutes for her to notice that a brick was on top of it. "Owie, owie, owie, owie!" she repeated over and over again, hopping around on one foot while the other was in her hands.

Her best friend came running over, with a look of concern on her face, "Hime! What are you okay?" She asked looking over at Orihime.

The brunette answered back with a tone of a tear in her voice, "Yea, it's okay Tatsuki. It doesn't hurt that much." She grimaced as she patted her foot.

Tatsuki sighed, "It's not okay. Come over to my house. We'll get you fixed up." She noticed that Orihime was having trouble standing up from her bench that she was sitting on, trying to stand on her foot that was injured. Tatsuki frowned a bit, "Here, give me your arms. I'll carry you back."

Orihime protested, "Huh? But are you sure you can carry me?" She pondered, sitting back down on the bench. Trying to keep her mind off the pain.

Her short-haired, somewhat butch friend smiled back calmly, "You ask that every time Hime, and I always answer that I can. Now give me your arms." Tatsuki took both of Orihime's arms and lifted her onto her back, Orihime tightened her grip around Tatsuki's neck, being sure not to choke her. Tatsuki then placed her arms underneath Orihime's rear and held her up, slouching slightly from the extra weight.

"Are you okay?"

Tatsuki laughed a bit finishing with a short grin, "I'm fine Hime! You still should get a breast reduction."

The large breasted girl hit Tatsuki in the chest jokingly, "You have the same bust size I do!" She scolded her friend.

Starting to walk towards her home a few miles away, Tatsuki replied, "Mine aren't as obvious though. Every try wrapping yours?" She pondered.

Orihime shook her head, "Nope. Well, maybe I have, but I think it hurt."

"Probably cause you did it wrong. Want me to show you later?"

"Nah, it's okay. I like the way my boobs are."

Tatsuki smiled, "Sure thing. By the way, how is your foot now?" She asked, looking at Orihime's slightly red bare foot.

"It still hurts." She complained.

"Okay, it's still bleeding too. I'll dress it once we get home."

"How much further?"

"Not much really." Tatsuki looked into the short distance, at her humble apartment that laid out sleepily in the distance.

Orihime nodded. For the rest of the short walk, her and Tatsuki stayed quiet, Tatsuki paying attention to her footing as she carried her friend up the stairs. Finally in her room, Tatsuki set Orihime down gently on a nearby sofa and took out some band-aids from a nearby cabinet. She then lifted Orihime's foot onto the counter and placed some rubbing alcohol over the wound.

"Ow! That hurts! It really hurts!" She complained, feeling a tear come to her eye.

Tatsuki remained calm like always, "Don't worry Hime. It will pass. By the way, why did you have a brick?" she asked, closing the bottle of alcohol and grabbing the band-aids and opening one.

Her friend rubbed her chin as she tried to remember why she did have a brick, "Oh yea! I wanted to play catch with something and that was all I could find!" She smiled innocently.

Tatsuki looked at Orihime, she could tell that her friend was lying, but it was best not to dig any deeper. "Silly." She rubbed the adhesive onto the foot and then sat back. "You should be more careful. You get injured a lot."

She smiled, "I know."

"You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. How did you survive before you met me?" She asked.

Hime's thoughts began to drift, "At one point, I could always count on my brother to be there… But after that, I don't know."

Tatsuki realized the vein she had struck. "It's okay, you don't have to talk about it."

She shook her head, "No, it's okay." Another innocent smile formed. "I'm happy that I met you Tatsuki."

"Same here." She leaned back, "It's been like a roller-coaster, hasn't it? These past several years."

"Yea. What are you going to do once we graduate?" Orihime asked.

"I don't know, maybe just bum around, maybe try and get rich in fighting tourneys." Her mind drifted off.

Orihime's tone became evanescent, "Oh. Then we'll be separated?"

Tatsuki never realized that, "Oh. I guess…It will be weird not having you around Hime."

"…Yea."

She could feel the depressed tone from her friend's voice, "I have an idea! Why don't you come with me? We could go around together! I know it's not much, but at least we'll be here for each other!"

"Y-you mean it?"

"Defiantly. It's not like we have anything else to do, or people to goto."

Orihime's smile perked up, "Okay! Now I can't wait til graduation!"

"No. We definitely can."


	24. Knitted Flowers

**Author's Note: **Totally sorry for not updating for a long time, since I was banned for a few weeks from a forum that gave me most of my inspiration, I didn't have much will to write. Not to mention I just got a new job, new semester in school, a ton of classes. Blah! Also, sorry if this is a bit short, or Ishida is OOF, I can't exactly get his persona right sometimes.

**Knitted Flowers**

**To: Concetta**

The somewhat offish Quincy sat alone in the back of the class, reading a somewhat random book that he picked up somewhere, his mind was rushed with so much information, or maybe just ideas for his next knitting project. His glasses began to slide down his nose, and the soft spring breeze flowed into the classroom.

"What's the whole point? There's no-one to give it to even if I do make something." Ishida said underneath his breath, setting down the book on the table, leaning back on his chair.

"Hey! I was reading that!" The high-pitched voice, feminine voice shocked him as he nearly fell off his chair.

Turning around quickly, his eyes quickly readjusted from the rather large breasts displayed before him and into the eyes of Orihime, "Oh! Orihime! You were reading my book on knitting?" He ask, regaining his composure.

The brunette stood up straight, "I suppose so, but I can never do it just right."

"Well, you didn't have to peek over my shoulder, you could just ask!"

"Yea, but it's too embarrassing." She admitted.

Ishida sighed heavily, "Okay. Do you want me to show you how to knit sometime?"

A large grin came over her, "Really? You mean it!"

Ishida forced a somewhat fake smile, maybe not fake, but it still was a smile, "Yes, I do mean it."

"So can I come over to where you live and watch?" She asked, too enthusiastically.

Ishida fought back the sudden redness he felt in his cheeks, "W-what? My house? U-um, I was going to show you in school."

"Aw, I wanted to see what your house was like!"

"A-alight, I g–g-guess it's okay." Ishida's voice cracked unnaturally, something that never happened to him. _What was that? I've had girls at my house before, so why am I so nervous?_

"So does that mean I can come over sometime?"

"I suppose so. Maybe tomorrow if you want. I don't have anything really planned." _Actually I did, but that doesn't matter._

"Yay! Thanks Ishida!" She sputtered off into the classroom, as she pranced around, nearly falling several times.

Leaning back on his chair, Ishida pushed up his glasses, "What have I gotten myself into?"


	25. Keeping Watch

**Author's Note: **Black Kat is a person I know in real life, so I'm using their alias.

* * *

**Keeping Watch**

**To: Black Kat**

Yoruichi quietly slipped back into her more feline form, leaving her clothes behind and neatly piled up. The black cat quietly slipped out of the window of the Urahara Shoten, leaving barely a trace of her being there behind.

From behind a wall, the owner of the shop sat down and took a short sip of tea, "My, my, Yoruichi. It seems you're really worried about the boy. You know you can't have him." he smiled quietly before finishing his tea.

Already many yards away from the closed shop, the black cat leaped gracefully from rooftop to rooftop, her stiff golden eyes scanning the distance for her target, the Kurosaki Clinic, or as she called it, the morgue for those who are still alive. She never really liked the sight of blood, nor could ever get used to it. But it was something she sees on a near daily basis, even in that respect, cold red blood still sent shivers up her back.

There was one thing different between the way she trained Ichigo and the way Kisuke train him, she would always take some time to talk with him after training, while Kisuke would go off and start to do something else. Of course, she always fought back this stinging, nearly lustful urge far deep inside of her. She could hardly believe it herself, but she found herself attached to Ichigo. She knew it was forbidden, that's what she told herself but that lie never worked. But she vowed to protect Ichigo during the night.

Finally arriving at the Clinic, she peered down into Ichigo's window, watching the young teenager sleep silently and peacefully. There was something else that bothered her when it came to Ichigo. And that was Rukia. Yoruichi understood far more then anyone would assume what goes through a person's mind. And she already knew how close Ichigo and Rukia before even meeting the former. But as she trained and watched her pupil grow and become stronger, and realize how this cub became a lion.

"You've grown. Most defiantly." Three months have passed ever since Rukia left and she noticed how restless Ichigo has been, more so then ever. She knew how his thoughts when he was idle always drifted back to Rukia, she could see it in his eyes. How in school they always drift up towards the sky as if waiting for the Shinigami appointed to his city would run by fighting a hollow. Or how during dinner he would always take a plate of leftovers and bring them upstairs, only to remember that she was no longer there.

When her thoughts finally came back to herself, she realized how silly she is. Nearly obsessed over this boy so many years younger then herself. At times it scared her how alike he is to her, minus the constant scowl. If only they had met many years before, they might of fallen in love. But now, it's impossible, but she will still protect his pupil whatever the cost. There she stood, all night. Keeping watch over someone she barely knew.


	26. Heaven and Hell

**Heaven and Hell**

I once took a walk down where I used to live. Rukongai, district 78. It's a lonely place now like it always was, the people, normally rough and tumble, robberies, murders. All sorts of things taking place, but with the mere sight of a Shinigami, namely a seated shinigami. They all hide like they were kittens. But I know once I leave, they'll be back at it again. But I still love it here.

Is there really something wrong with living here? What if you're just an innocent konpaku who has the misfortune to live here? Does it really make you a bade person? Some would who used to live here would compare it to heaven and hell. But I don't know, is this really hell? I love it here. This is where I met a dear friend of mine. To me, being a shinigami inside the walls is like hell. Living with rules forced upon you, having to do what is told, lest you be killed. You get your meals when needed, you get a place to rest and recuperate. But it's all too pampered, for a someone like myself, where do I really belong?

Sometimes I find myself just sitting on the outskirts of district 78 watching everything happen. It reminds me of my youth, when everyday was a struggle for survival. Our friends died here, but yet I still cannot tear myself away from here. This is where I born in my opinion, I never remembered my early childhood as a human-being, but I think this was fate that brought me here. And from that I became a Shinigami. And I met the most wonderful people in my life.

I neither want to live in heaven nor hell, I want to exist in a place where I can move about my own free will. Do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. That's what I envy Ichigo for. He lives as a human, yet he still finds time to work, he isn't controlled by the rules of the Soul Society, nor does he have to abide by every human law and mandate that comes into passing. I want to live like Ichigo does.

I want to live how he lives, where he lives. In neither heaven nor hell.


	27. With a simple thrust of the sword

**Author's Note**: This takes place before Manga #1, I just want to rewrite how they meet. It's been nagging me for a while now

**With a simple thrust of the sword**

Those black eyes that can pierce into your soul, the rough hair that never needed to be combed because it always looked good, that rough exterior about him that most people couldn't help but be attracted to, yet could still maintain a certain kindness in his voice. Spirits he's just too much like him. One thing does scare me about this Kurosaki Ichigo, he's the only human who can talk to a whole so easily. All the other ones mis-interpret what a spirit wants and turn them into a hollow. But this one, he's different.

It's been how long now? Sixteen, seventeen, years since he died. Yet why do I see him right here, in front of my eyes? I've been following him silently, over the past few weeks, wanting to know more about this boy. It's not stalking, because I'm already dead. Most people may be able to see a slight trace of a spirit, but not many can hear them. Those that can are gifted, this made me curious. Why can he see, hear, and touch ghosts? And most of all, how can he manipulate spiritronsinto molecules for a short amount of time?

I'm most definitely not neglecting my job, I cleanse them whenever my cell phone rings, but whenever that happens, the boy looks around to see who's cell is ringing. Hah, I must be driving him insane.

"Hey, Tatsuki, did you feel that? I know you can hear these spirits as well." The boy asked his friend, who I didn't pay any attention to. Wait? A spirit making a loud sound? A hollow? Where? **_Ring. Ring. _**What the? It's nearby. I'll catch up to this boy later.

oOo

Damned hollow, that was almost pointless. Another day, another crappy amount of credits I assume. I shot a glance at the cell, then at the public clock at the corner. It's off, by two hours. Damn you Urahara, I should be on my break right now. That other guy will take over for me for a bit I guess.

"Yo! Orihime! Are you okay?" Yelled out that familiar voice, to an upper-story window which I didn't pay attention to at all, just trying to get my black kimono all readied up again. Couldn't they made something a bit more practical for us to wear? It's nice and loose and all, but it's gets so...ugh never mind.

Huh? Where am I? I looked around, I must of been subconsciously following the boy. It's rather dark, an alleyway?

A voice rang out from behind me, "Explain yourself. Now." He commanded, it sounded like it was to me, but to see a shinigami takes far more spiritual power then seeing a regular whole. I pretended not to pay any attention to him.

"Oi. Don't ignore me. I'm talking to you, samurai-chick in the black kimono." He DID see me. What the hell? I realized he had a lot of spiritual energy, but this! This is..! "I finally got your attention. Now why are you following me? I have enough spirits bothering me already!" His voice became a bit agitated.

"..." I didn't reply, trying to come up with an ample excuse, "I'm just a whole?" I lied horribly. My mind full out of ideas.

"Tch, well you're a damn strange one. All other wholes don't follow me around, don't have cell phones. And certainly don't jump off every-time I hear a scream. Not to mention all the spirits I help, disappear after I help them." He stated with such matter-of-fact in his voice, it made it hard for me to take it all in.

"What do you expect me to say? I could just be a little strange. Who knows?" I commented, my lie becoming harder to sense. But I think he knew that I was still lying.

He sighed, "Just tell me what you are so I can get going!" Sheesh, won't this boy take a hint. He's just so much like Kaien. Wait, what?

If he's just so much like Kaien, it's pointless trying to lie, one last ditch effort. Wait, damn. I can't run, this is my assigned area, and no matter what, he's going to see me again. Screw it. "Fine, I am a shinigami." Maybe he wouldn't believe this either.

"A god of death? Aren't you kind of short to be something like that? You look just like a pipsqueak." Okay. That's it. I'll just erase this guy's memory, maybe he won't remember a thing. I took it out of my kimono, and pointed it at him. **_Flash_**. I looked back at him. Nothing, Still standing. "What the hell was that? Listen, I believe you're a shinigami."

He's IMMUNE to it? What kind of person IS he? I haven't known a person in my entire time as a soul reaper that was immune to this. Suddenly something made his head spin, he felt something, "What the hell? What was that howl?"

I knew immediately what it was, a hollow. He somehow sensed it before I did, but it is. "A hollow."

"What the hell is a hollow!" He exclaimed back at me.

"I'll explain later! It's nearby!"

My cell phone rang. It's here.

"Karin!" He looked away, I didn't bother to follow his gaze, but apparently he found someone he knew. I could here her talking, labored, the energy coming off the body was injured. This girl was attacked by the hollow.

"Boy! Stay back! I'll handle this!"

Without even looking back, he grabbed a wood plank that was leaning on the side the building, "No! It's my family that, thing is attacking!"

Dammit, it's my fault, I should of been here! It's close, the boy is strong, but not strong enough. Dammit!

oOo

Ugh, damn. This hurts. This defiantly hurts, what can I do now? I'm NOT going to die here! I have to figure something out. Wait, the boy. "Boy! Come here!" I managed to choke out of my throat. "There's not much choice. I have to give you some of my dark power." I stated.

He looked at me oddly, "What? This isn't exactly the time for jokes! It's going to come back any second!"

"I'm not joking! Give me your soul and I shall help." I spoke rather archaically reciting only what I remembered from the transcripts. "The soul is in your heart. I trust you won't abuse this." What the hell am I thinking? I barely know the boy, yet I'm giving him something that he could abuse! He stared at me into the eyes. No. I can trust those eyes. I can trust him. I can trust him like I did Kaien.

"It's not boy. It's..."

I smiled weakly, "Kurosaki Ichigo. I know. My name is..."

"Rukia Kuchiki. I don't know how I know. But I do." This boy. He has more surprises on him then I could ever imagine. With that, I held my zanpakuto to his chest and thrust. And that changed the course of fate of me, him, and the soul society.

* * *

_Author's Note: It's not supposed to be that great, I just wanted to write it. People, READ AND REVIEW! Sheesh! People who have this on favorites at least review as well! I'm lonely! -Cries-_


	28. Your Midnight flower

**Author's Note:** Okay, I saw this scene on Jade Empire towards the end. To those of you who saw this scene, you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm using that same scene to make it apply to Bleach, So this is like a semi-alternate universe fic. They may be a bit OOC, but hell. TOO BAD!

**Your Midnight Flower**_  
_

Rukia stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast valleys before and below her, sprawled out in the distance was the Soul Society in Rukongai. The snow-peaked mountains greeted her with cold respite, and the chilly air gave a slight blush to get cheeks._ He's dead. Isn't he?_ She pondered to herself, kicking a small pebble off the edge. In front of her was a small rope barrier, preventing people from falling off the cliff, behind her was a small gazebo and two benches. Not many knew of this place, but those that did kept it in well condition. "Damn it Ichigo. You idiot."

Footsteps silently crunched the small amount of snow that layered the ground, Rukia made her way to one of the benches that lined the area, and sat herself down, staring at the horizon and what it may bring. _You're an idiot Ichigo. A complete idiot._ "Ichigo... Why didn't you think how I would feel?"

"What do you mean?" His voice clearly echoed behind her, his aura starting already to fill the air.

Rukia slowly turned to him, her eyes widening as if she saw a ghost. But that was impossible, this was the Soul Society. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her as she stared at the long-missed figure in the black kimono. "I-Ichigo...!" She gasped out, her legs trying to move, but unable.

His trademark smile graced along his face, "Hey."

Rukia stood up, shaking horribly, her legs moving forwards one step at a time. "H-how did you...?"

Ichigo walked to her calmly, stopping in front of her, he placed his arms around her shoulders and held her, "Che, you're a mess Rukia. As much I hate to say it, I came back because I missed someone special." He smiled gently, holding Rukia to his chest.

Rukia felt hey eyes beginning to swell, holding back tears of both joy and grief. "You.. I... You couldn't have..." She gripped his Kimono and pulled her face deep into his chest.

Ichigo looked down at her, starting at her midnight hair. "I'm sorry."

Her tears flowing freely from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks and onto his kimono, she gripped his kimono tightly, "I-I haven't slept a wink since you left... I missed you so much."

"You look it Rukia."

"I was so scared." Rukia looked up desperately, trying to find the answer she sought for in his eyes. The wind in the mountains died down as the sun peeked through the clouds that surrounded them. "I was scared for you...and for me. I was scared that you would've forgotten me, your midnight flower..." Rukia didn't care what she was saying, but she believed every word of it.

"Che, idiot. I'd never forget you Rukia." He smiled, his eyes closing as he held her in his arms.

The short shinigami dug her head into his chest, "I...I don't care what happens tomorrow, Ichigo. I'm just happy and thankful for what we have...right now." Her smile dug into his chest, as she continued to silently weep, her arms bringing them around to hug and hold him.

"You really are a bloody mess without me."

"Don't leave me again. I-I don't know what will happen..."

"I don't think I will anytime soon, but when I do it may be under different circumstances." He kidded around, the cold air around him heating up to a warm temperature without actually changing.

Rukia chucked slightly underneath her breath, "...Easy for you to say dumbass...! But hard for me to swallow."

"You know I'm joking." His arms slid off her shoulders as he knelt down slightly, matching her height. "But I won't leave you, heh. Happy now."

Happiness built up in her eyes, "...after all this...will you still have me? I don't care wether it may be, but will you stay with your midnight flower?"

"...Only if she is willing to take what makes her happy." Ichigo's face came close to Rukia. Normally she would be freaked out, but this all felt...natural. To him and her.

Rukia closed in that distance, "Just kiss me, before I remember who I am."

Ichigo snorted slightly, "Idiot. You're a mess without me." His eyes closed as their lips finally met after being separated from the other for so long. The sun shone brightly on the mountain cliff that day, the snow never melted fully, but grass was still growing maybe not on the ground, but in somewhere else.

* * *

_Notes: Cheesy I know. But oh well. I tried to make it as bleached as I could._


	29. Loyalty and Obedience

**Loyalty and Obedience**

The second division leader found herself standing outside the Urahara Shoten with her hands in her pockets. This was most likely going to be her home for the next several weeks to months. She wore a simple black tank-top with a white butterfly on it, the straps giving way to the black bra she wore underneath. Her jeans were form-fitting and tight, at first causing her some discomfort, but then quickly finding her way to liking them.

She brought her hand up to knock, but her fist never hit the door, she just stood there, waiting. "Damn you Yoruichi-Sama." She mumbled under her breath, pulling her fist away from the door. She looked up above her, at the gutter, above her stood a black cat staring down at her almost with a grin.

The voice that came from it was manly and deep, but still retained the mischief of the women who it really was, "My, my, my. My dear Soi Fong." The cat leaped down from the gutter and landed on the other women's shoulder. "Such loyalty and obedience." it purred in her ear.

Soi Fong nearly blushed from the closeness of Yoruichi, it wasn't the voice that made her uneasy, but the spiritual energy that flowed from the cat into her own body was unbearable. "Don't mock me."

Yoruichi walked along Soi Fong's arm, forcing the keigun to bring it up to keep her from falling, "You should call me Yoruichi-chan. My little Soi-Chan."

Soi Fong closed her eyes in slight agitation, "Sama. I still haven't gotten over what you did. We're also both female, such is forbidden in the Seireitei." Her stern voice unwavering, at least to most people. Yoruichi could sense Soi Fong starting to crack.

The cat purred gently, jumping onto the ground and massaging herself on Soi Fong's leg. Sometime it was hard to tell if Yoruichi was lesbian or not. The only person who knew that was Urahara. Seeing as how she never flirts with him, it's good to assume that she's lesbian. "What they don't know won't hurt them. You should come with me to my residence."

Soi Fong looked down, "Huh? You don't live here?" She asked, surprised.

"Of course. I can't live in a shop with two other men and two children. The Shoten is crowded as it is." The cat walked off, "follow me if you want. I know everything about your situation Soi Fong. Maybe we can get to know each other a bit better..." She hinted at.

The women blushed, following silently.

oOo

The cat turned into an ally-way, with Soi Fong in toe, "Here's my house."

Soi wasn't convinced, "So you live in garbage cans?" She mocked her old master, standing with her hands on her hips, the look of disapproval in her eyes.

"So you like me dirty." The cat joking silently, jumping onto the emergency escape, "Go around the front and find room number four. Knock and I'll answer." Yoruichi quickly ran up the escape, and entered through a partially opened window. In a flash, Soi Fong disappeared.

Yoruichi, finally back in her human form made her way to the main door. She lived in an condo with four rooms, she took up one of them. A knock came at the door, "She's quick." She smiled at herself, finding herself between her clothes which was in a dresser, and the door. She bent down and opened the door with her foot, while at the same time, reaching over to the dresser and opening it.

Soi Fong found herself in an odd situation. She was staring in disbelief, watching the naked Yoruichi, her legs opened, bending over, right in front of her. She stood there speechless.

Yoruichi looked back up, finally getting her clothes, "What's wrong? Not like you haven't seen me naked before." She smiled, putting her bra on, followed by her panties.

Soi Fong walked into the room, her eyes shut tightly, and her face looking down. "You're so...annoying!" She yelled.

Yoruichi smiled, "I know. But you've grown used to it, haven't you?"

Soi Fong opened her eyes and sat down on the bed, "I'd have to. I'm beginning to wonder how your old bodyguard died."

The ex-keigun leader sat down next to Soi Fong, "I never had one before you."

"Huh? How long were you serving the keigun?"

"Not as long as you think. I started ten years before you actually. I only became the leader one year before you came in."

"Huh? Then who was the women who was before you?"

"My mother."

Soi Fong felt as if she hit some kind of sensitive nerve, "O-oh. I'm sorry."

Yoruichi looked over at Soi Fong, "You showed some compassion! My dear student, you're learning!" She giggled a bit, "It's okay, seriously. She died doing her duty to the Soul Society."

"You're really annoying Yoruichi-Sama."

"You're too uptight Soi Fong-Chan."

"Don't call me that! It's embarrassing!"

"Ah such Loyalty and obedience. It would be nice if you weren't so uptight."

Soi Fong fell down onto the bed, "And I have to live with you for several weeks. What was I thinking!"


	30. PetNames

**Pet-Names  
****To wai-no-feni**

"W-where am I?" Hitsugaya Toushirou sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings, he eyed his captain sitting a few feet away. "Matsumoto-san, what happened? Where am I?"

The big-breasted vice-captain of the tenth division walked towards her captain, "Silly Toushirou-bozu, you ran out of energy and collapsed from dehydration. You don't have the durability of a captain in this gigai."

" I wish you wouldn't call me that Matsumoto-kohai. But that still doesn't tell me where we are." He asked, hie eyes glazing over with some kind of frost that not even summer could dispel.

Matsumoto looked around, "Oh, this is the apartment where Hime-san lives, Toushirou-Kun."

The captain gave her a glance of disapproval, but by no means caused her to stop with the toy-names. "Ah. Then I shouldn't be here."

Matsumoto hit her captain upside the head, causing him to nearly fall on his face, "Don't be stupid sempai." she pouted, "You're the only friend I have in the soul society, so I worry a bit."

"...Did you just call me sempai?" He asked, somewhat astonished.

Rangiku grinned, sitting down next to her captain, not too close, just close enough to establish familiarity. "Mebee."

"What exactly did you mean by 'your only friend in the soul society?" Hitsugaya asked, somewhat suspicious of her words.

"Oi! Toushirou-bozu! Don't be so suspicious of your vice-captain!" She moved towards him, pushing him over, she straddled him a bit, looking him square in the eye, "You're the only person who sees me as a person, Toushirou-_kun_." Placing emphasis on the pet-name.

"Y-You're making me feel uncomfortable Matsumoto-san!"

She poked him in the head, flicking him with her pointer finger, still straddling him and placing her face extremely close to his, "silly, silly, silly Toushirou-kun. Not _Matsumoto-san._ Try Matsumoto-chan, or Matsumoto-kun."

Hitsugaya sighed, for the first time in a while, he had to admit defeat, not to mention his stomach started to rumble, "Fine, fine, Matsumoto-_chan. _Can I have some food now?" He pleaded.

His vice-captain smiled, jumping off him onto the floor causing her breasts to jiggle a bit more then he would of liked, "Sure thing Toushirou-kun." She walked off quickly, helping herself to the food that was in Orihime's fridge.

The silver-haired captain, "Oi! Why am I so unlucky to be blessed with such an annoying yet caring Vice-captain?"


	31. Only in death do we part

**Only in death do we part only to meet again****  
**

Rukia looked back at the human world she came so attached to. The paved roads which they walked on many times. The silent sky in which nighttime birds found their home. The full moon that she had watched so many times with Ichigo. The swaying of the cherry trees in the summer breeze. The way the houses illuminated themselves with a quiet resonance of sleeping mortals.

Ichigo. Kurosaki. Strawberry.

Rukia. Kuchiki. Death.

Death and strawberry.

She looked down once again, watching his body writhe with pain and the shock of utter-defeat. His eyes still glazed over with blood streaming down his forehead, his body working at it's hardest just to stay alive. _But even if you died, you'd still come after me. Wouldn't you Ichigo?_

Deep down inside, she knew that he would come for her. But she wanted to believe that he would stay in the mortal world and just live his life. Maybe meeting if she was ever to be reborn, but she knew that wasn't the case. _Ichigo... Only in death do we part only to meet again. That's the case isn't it? _She felt some tears welling up in her eyes, not something she had done in so many months, years, decades. Something that a Shinigami was not suppose to do.

"Ichigo..." she said silently, watching him try to move, even though his body wouldn't allow him to.

He smiled. Ichigo smiled, even though his muscles probably wouldn't let him move his arms, "Did I say you can go anywhere, Rukia?" he asked with the upmost defiance in his voice, something Rukia had grown accustomed to, maybe even fallen in love to.

Watching her brother and friend walk away, one half-beaten, one half-annoyed, she turned around shortly, the tears cascading down her face, "If you even move from that spot, Ichigo Kurosaki, I will never forgive you." Her rough voice quickly became soft and gentle, "Please... lay there and think of happier times Ichigo." Down inside, that's all she wanted. Was just to be happy.

She never knew what smiling was like until she met Ichigo.

She didn't know what having friends who were always there was like until she met Ichigo.

She wasn't accustomed wearing clothes that made everyone different until she met Ichigo.

She didn't know how crying was like the rain until she met Ichigo.

She hadn't fallen in love until she met Ichigo.

Maybe so, maybe not. But all she wanted was to see him one last time before she left. But not like this.


	32. Don't look Surprised

**Don't act surprised**

**By Fenris Amon**

"That would come to..." The store clerk rang out the price of whatever the patron was buying on the machine. The patron gave exact change, and thanked the clerk as he walked out of the small corner store.

Ichigo wasn't one to buy stuff for people for their birthdays, just give them a nice card and call it off as something he should just not care about. He zipped up his light coat and walked down the street with his bang in hand. It was lightly snowing, not even a centimeter on the ground, but just enough for a light cover of the streets.

He looked in his bag and sighed, "I felt like an idiot buying this." He commented to himself before taking a glance at his watch, "Damn, I'm going to be late. Ms. Ochi is teaching, so it shouldn't be that big of a problem." he walked down the street, quickening his pace.

Rukia sat down in her chair, shivering slightly to the sudden change in temperature on her bum. She looked to her left, only to see the chair open. _That's funny, Ichigo was okay this morning._ She thought to herself.

"Kuchiki-San...!" She over exaggerated loving, yet somewhat horny voice of her fellow classmate Chizuru rang in Rukia's ear as the large breasts smothered her in a tight embrace. "I missed your beautiful eyes over the- Gah!" Her breasts being forcefully removed from her face by a kick from Tatsuki.

"We just got back from the break and you're already at it? Keep your chromosomes to yourself Chizuru." Tatsuki said plainly, sitting on the desk next to Rukia. "So where's Kurosaki-san? You normally arrive here at the same time as him."

Rukia shook her head, "I don't know Arisawa-san. He said he'd be late, so I think it's okay."

"Not like him, oh well." Tatsuki looked at her watch quickly, "Oh, what's today's date?"

"Um, January 14. Why?"

"No reason." Tatsuki knew in the back of her mind what that meant. _He must of gone out to buy her a present. _"Have any place you're eating later? Why not come around here? Kurosaki, Hime, Me, and some of the other girls are around here."

Rukia shook her head, "Sure."

Ichigo placed his belongings in his small locker, somewhat uncaring of the fact that he was late to school. He made sure he signed in and put everything away, including the small box that was at his feet.

He walked to the classroom only to hear the bell ring, marking the end of that period. He looked inside the classroom, _Crap, I didn't think I'd be this late. It's lunch period._ He sighed and walked in, he already grabbed his bento before he left his locker just in case. As he walked in, he saw his fellow students already looking at him. "Ochi-Sensei. I just came in."

"Whatever. You know I don't care, you're here, you're here." His lax teacher leaned back on her desk.

Ichigo made his way over to his friends; Renji, Hitsugaya, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and the others. Before he actually sat down, he glanced over to see if Rukia was with her own group. "I'll be right back, forgot something in my locker." He said simply before quickly walking out of the room.

"Tch, slacker." Renji commented.

Rukia looked over and up at Ichigo, walking back in from his exodus, in his hands he had a plastic shopping bag with some kind of box in it, Orihime taking notice and whispering something to Tatsuki who just smiled.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Rukia inquired.

"Nothing, nothing Kuchiki-san."

"Right..."

"Oh, look here comes Kurosaki-san." Tatsuki noticed, causing Rukia to quickly turn her head.

Ichigo looked at Rukia and tossed her the small white box. "Eh? What's this?"

"Che, don't eh me. Just open it."

"Maybe I shouldn't since you're being such a jerk about it."

"Suit yourself."

Curiosity getting the better of her, her fingers moved to open the box, "You win this time Kurosaki-san." She opened the box completely, inside, covered in wrap was a stuffed chappy-rabbit, Rukia stared at it with her eyes opened and that signature look of appeasement on her mouth.

"Don't look so surprised." Ichigo said coldly, "It IS your birthday."

Rukia looked up, her eyed swelling slightly, _...this is the first time anyone has ever remembered my birthday..._ "I-Ichigo. Thank you."

Everyone looked at Rukia, as if something was on her face, like a giant Godzilla or something along those lines. Rukia blushed, realizing the mistake she just did. Ichigo patted her on the head and smiled.

_Notes: Tamz: 99 Red Balloons is a Song written by Nena in the 80's. it's about a military overreaction to kids playing with red balloons. It was originally in German. _


End file.
